Forgotten Pasts
by Thaurtiliel
Summary: COMPLETE! Post-Hogwarts fic. Hermione is working at St. Mungo's and guess who's her patient! Will it end well? Read and find out! R&R please! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Authors Note: Okay, well as you can probably guess, this is my first fic and I'm not that great at writing! I just had this idea that I thought might work well, and here we are, so any feedback or criticism would be appreciated. Thanx!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything (except my computer, piece of poo that it is) or anyone.  
  
Setting: This is set about five years after the gang have left Hogwarts, Hermione, Ron and Harry are still all best friends and see each other a lot. Hermione is a doctor at St Mungo's, and Harry and Ron are Aurors. Voldemort is still around, but they're really close to getting him and the death eaters are panicking and deserting him, that is, all except one family...  
  
Chapter 1: A New Beginning.  
  
The early morning sunlight slanted through the slightly open curtains and hit the face of a sleeping young woman. Hermione Granger stirred and groaned as she slowly focused on her surroundings. Glancing at her watch, she rolled out of the makeshift bed in the doctor's lounge.  
  
"I HATE being on call," she snarled at nobody in particular.  
  
It was 5:50 in the morning and she still had another seven hours to go until her shift was over. Luckily for her it had been a quiet night and she had managed to grab an inadequate three hours sleep on a sofa in the sparsely furnished room laughingly called the doctors lounge.  
  
A loud and intensely irritating beep broke Hermione's sleepy half-doze and snapped her back to attention. Her pager was bleeping, and it was bleeping loud, this could only mean one thing, and it put paid to any thought of further sleep.  
  
"Stupid people, can't they go five minutes without injuring themselves?" She sighed, and pushed the button on her pager that informed the nurses on duty that she was alive and coming to help with the imminently arriving emergency.  
  
* * *  
  
SIX HOURS EARLIER  
  
At ten minutes to midnight, his thoughts were clear and he was prepared for the honour about to be bestowed upon him. His entire life had been leading up to this point, this was the day that he was finally able to join the cause that he had supported for so long. He was the youngest person ever to join Voldemort in his quest for world domination.  
  
Draco Malfoy was an intense and domineering young man, and nobody had ever stood between him and something that he wanted. His determination was unmatched, and he would never stop trying until he either succeeded or he died. Luckily for him, the second option had not occurred so far. It was these qualities that made him so perfect for what Voldemort had in mind for the next part of his plan. His last stand.  
  
The ceremony was to take place in a clearing deep in an ancient, powerful forest on the outskirts of London. This charmed place had been the site of rituals and worship for thousands of years, and power from the ancients was buried deep in the old trees. It seeped up from the ground to fill the night air with a dreamy mysticism and a terrible sense of purpose.  
  
On the dry and leaf littered ground of the clearing a small group of people waited for the time to be right. It was nearly midnight on the eve of Voldemort's birth, when the ritual would have the most potency. It was a clear night, and as he waited Draco looked up at the stars and wondered what, if anything they would make of that night's deeds.  
  
It was a secret pleasure of Draco's to go out on clear nights, with a blanket onto the large expanse of lawn outside Malfoy Manor and just gaze at the stars. Somehow they always made him feel insignificant, and his problems just melted away as he spent hours with his head craned back to see the full expanse of sky.  
  
This, however, was no night for day-dreaming, and Draco reluctantly dragged himself back to the task in hand. The ritual, that he had been preparing for, for so long was mere minutes away, and a sickening sense of both dread and anticipation gathered itself in the pit of his stomach. He looked around at the group of people that were around him, and wondered, not for the first time, what twisted sense of fate had lead him to be there that night, with those people.  
  
His father was stood on his left, with an inner grin shining in his eyes. This must be the high point of his life, thought Draco, with disgust for his father rising like a tide through him. Ever since Draco could remember, his father had taken no notice of him, other than when berating or beating him. At least until Voldemort had expressed an interest in him that is, and then his father couldn't do enough for him. Anything for Voldemort's special favourite.  
  
Five minutes to go now, and Draco pulled his mind once again to the ordeal that was to begin very shortly. What's wrong with me tonight? Draco mused as he pondered his uncharacteristic lack of focus. Pull yourself together. This is what you've been waiting for. DON'T RUIN IT NOW!.  
  
"It is nearly time." Voldemort's distinctive nasal voice rang out, shattering the peaceful quiet of the clearing. "Tonight is the night that we've been waiting for, you faithful few, and tonight we shall be rewarded. This is the night that is the beginning of the end for all our enemies. Once I have joined myself with Draco, nobody will be able to stand in our way. Thos who have deserted us WILL be made to pay, and you shall reap the benefits."  
  
A resounding cheer broke out in response to the stirring speech, and then the time was upon them. 


	2. Chapter 2: The Mistake

Authors Note: Well, here I am, with my second chapter, which is quite cool considering I never thought that I'd have the courage to put up the story in the first place! A big thank-you to my lovely reviewers! I'm gonna try to make my chapters a bit longer, but I'm not promising anything, cos I have loads of exams coming up :o( Please keep reviewing, cos it really helps me!  
  
Disclaimer: Own nothing.  
  
Chapter 2: The Mistake  
  
As the faraway church clock struck twelve times, the person furthest away from Draco in the circle moved slowly towards a covered altar that faced due south. The altar was covered with a black cloth that had indistinguishable symbols painted on it in red. The altar supported a large silver bowl that emitted a small amount of green smoke. As the cloaked figure approached the altar Voldemort called out to the gathered group.  
  
"My loyal supporters, now is the time for you to show your true faith in me. For tonight's ceremony to go exactly the way needed to ensure my success as the new world leader, each of you needs to donate something to the cause." Voldemort paused and looked around at the now uneasy group of death eaters that shifted and murmured among themselves, wondering what sort of 'donation' would be required.  
  
"If any of you wish to back out, now is the time, although I guarantee nothing in the way of your safety, should you choose to desert me like so many other spineless creatures." Nobody stepped up to leave, and satisfied, Voldemort continued. "It is a small thing really, I require one hair off each of you, so as to tie your power into mine for the duration of the spell, as I myself am too weak to do this on my own. This is an extremely complex spell to perform and each of you will feel slightly drained for a while afterwards, so I have arranged for transport for each of you after we have finished. It will be necessary for you to sleep for approximately twenty-four hours when you return to your homes, but after that you will be back to normal."  
  
A collective sigh of relief rippled around the group as they heard the relatively simple request from Voldemort. Draco looked around in disgust at the people gathered around him, they were so worried about their own skins, and what they had to go through was NOTHING compared to what he would be forced to endure by the time the night was over.  
  
The spell was a merging of his and Voldemort's minds. They would be able to hear each others thoughts, and in special circumstances, with an immense amount of concentration, Draco would be able to carry around Voldemort's conscious self. This was the latest plan to bring power to He-Who-Must-Not- Be-Named, keep him out of danger, and send in someone strong and youthful to do the actual work.  
  
Sometimes Draco wondered if Voldemort would be able to stand up and survive if his death eater supporters revolted. No more thoughts like that now though, Draco thought bitterly. Is this worth it? I mean, sure I get unlimited power in the new world, but to never have a private thought again? It would be enough to send a lesser person mad! I can't think of anyone besides me who could stand it. Well, maybe one... Draco, what are you doing, thinking about a filthy Mudblood on the night when Voldemort's mind is joined with yours!! This doesn't bode well for the future.  
  
A loud bang snapped Draco back to the matter in hand. The death eaters had formed one long line in front of the altar, and Wormtail was stood slightly to the left cutting off the hairs and dropping them one by one into the bowl. Each time a hair was dropped in a, the bowl emitted a bang and a puff of purple smoke. Draco watched as the line slowly went down, and the death eaters formed a circle around the altar.  
  
"The time is nigh. Let the ritual begin"  
  
Draco walked slowly toward the altar, outwardly calm, but inwardly seething with fear and hatred. He whipped out a dagger from inside his black robes and slashed a long cut down the inside of his arm, from the elbow to the wrist. Draco allowed exactly thirteen drops of his blood to drip into the bowl, and smiled with satisfaction as the potion seethed and turned a blinding white.  
  
The death eaters began to chant 'Confundo Voldemort et Draco. Facio velut singuli.' (*) Voldemort didn't so much walk, as float up to the altar; he pulled out the twin of Draco's dagger and repeated the slashing motion. As his blood dripped into the bowl, Voldemort looked at Draco and hissed, "It's too late now, you're mine. You think that you will survive this, no my dear boy, you will be a shell for me to inhabit." The evil grin on his face sent chills down Draco's spine and he paled. "What?" A sudden realization filled him, as cold as ice, and twice as dangerous.  
  
Voldemort smiled that terrifying smile once again. "Did you really think that I would let as powerful a wizard as you share power with me? No indeed, I just need your body and your powers, and you have just signed your own death warrant. Oh, and one more thing, your father knew all along of course."  
  
Draco turned and looked into the still smiling eyes of his father and his legendary composure suddenly became a weapon. Quickly his mind flitted through the options open to him to get out of this situation alive. His silver eyes flashed with his thoughts, and Voldemort stared at him, wondering not for the first time what thoughts went on behind that cool façade.  
  
Draco decided upon a course of action that would most likely end in his death, but seemed to be the only option left open to him. He looked directly into the eyes of the half-man stood opposite him and smiled. "You think that I didn't know? Poor old fool. It's not my death warrant that's been signed it's your own." He muttered a quick healing spell under his breath, so quietly that Voldemort didn't even notice. He pulled up the sleeve of his robe, and showed Voldemort his unblemished arm. "That wasn't my blood."  
  
The panic showed on Voldemort's face as the thirteenth drop of his blood landed into the potion and it swirled. Draco knew that if the potion was done correctly it would go black, so he changed the colour from the black it would have gone into a deep red. Voldemort was panicking so much that he didn't even notice Draco's covert actions. Perfect. Draco thought. He's falling for it. I knew that his paranoia would come in handy one day. He's so scared of an ambush that he didn't even notice me!  
  
Voldemort screamed out to the death eaters for them to stop, and in a split second, Draco could see how everything was going to go wrong. Voldemort was lunging out into the middle of the circle to attract everyone's attention, and he was going to take the altar with him. That meant that everyone the potion touched would be instantly killed, its potency was such that it could only be sniffed, never swallowed or touched, and everyone in the clearing was going to get drenched.  
  
As Voldemort ran out into the clearing, the altar toppled, and the bowl fell. As the liquid flew out into the air, everything seemed to slow down. Draco stared as the liquid first reached Voldemort and splattered onto his face, he screamed just once, and burst into flame. The irony of it amused Draco, all those years the Ministry tried to destroy him, and when he finally went, it was by the hand of one of his most loyal death eaters.  
  
He stood still watching the circle of death eaters burst into flame, one by one, and as the liquid spattered on his father, his lips curved into a smile. The liquid was making its way towards him now, and visions of his imminent doom flashed before his eyes. In desperation Draco tried something that he'd only successfully done once before. He apparated.  
  
He felt himself start to go, but as he left the clearing, one drop of the potion struck the arm of his robe and a minute amount made it through to his skin.  
  
* * *  
  
Draco reappeared inside the Leaky Cauldron at exactly 5:30 a.m. with such an immense crash that the owner rushed downstairs fearing that he was the subject of a raid. He stumbled out into the darkness of the bar.  
  
"Hello? Is anyone here? I'm armed to the teeth, so don't you be trying to do anything stupid down here! Lumos!" As the light spread around the room, he spotted the crumpled body lying in the corner of the bar, across a broken table. "MABEL" He screamed  
  
* * *  
  
At 5:53 Hermione was waiting in the emergency department of St. Mungo's and the sense of dread and anticipation was filling her stomach like always. Hermione loved emergencies, she was ashamed to admit, not that she wished people to be seriously ill of course, but the rush she got from saving lives couldn't be replicated. Every life that she'd saved was special to her, and she was the best doctor in the place for follow up care. Hermione was, for lack of a better word, dedicated beyond belief, which was also helped by the fact that she was by far the best doctor that the hospital had ever seen.  
  
The wail of the Ambi-Broom neared, and Hermione and her team prepared for action. 


	3. Chapter 3: So Close, Yet So Far

A/N: Well here I am again! I just wanna say thank you soooo much to my reviewers, and I know everyone says this, but it means a lot that you take the time to tell me how my story is and what you think of it! I'm just gonna take a moment to say something to all of you who reviewed:  
  
Mistress Moony: My first reviewer! I'm gonna try to keep updates pretty regular, cos I know how annoying it is when stories aren't updated for ages!  
  
seanb's gurl: yes this is most definitely a Draco/Hermione fic, and it will all tie in together, I promise!! Mabel is the wife of the owner of The Leaky Cauldron (I just needed a name for him to yell, she's not important!)  
  
Blanche Dubois: Just be patient, it's coming I promise! (no pun intended!) Hermione will be VERY attentive to Draco's needs, I promise  
  
Anonymous person: Hmmm, I'm not sure I approve of anonymous reviews, but thanks anyway  
  
Spazy Sange: I really loved your story, (Demented), what happened to that? Your review popped up just as I was stuck on this chapter, you are now forever known as the angel of chapter three!  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing but Mabel, the nurses and the Ambi-Broom  
  
Anyway, on with the story...  
  
Chapter 3: So Close, Yet So Far  
  
The Ambi-Broom's siren wailed like a small child in distress, and as always Hermione's teeth gritted. I hate that noise! Why couldn't they have chosen a less annoying noise to herald the arrival of the sick? It'd make me want to die just to escape that awful caterwauling! The broom lowered carefully to the ground, and as soon as the hovering broom was securely clamped onto the arrival dock, the paramedic jumped off.  
  
"Hey Hermione!" A cheerful voice rang out, seeming out of place in the drab surroundings. The voice came from the paramedic, one of Hermione's closest friends in her workplace. His name was Lyden, and he was only about two years older than her, they had briefly dated, but discovered that they were better off as friends. From that day to this, they hadn't gone one day without talking, whether at work or on the phone. Apart from Harry and Ron, he was Hermione's best friend.  
  
"Got a weird one for you tonight." Hermione frowned in confusion.  
  
"Weird one?" She queried.  
  
"Well, it seems that he apparated into the Leaky Cauldron at about half- five, but I don't know how he apparated in his state. He's a tough one alright, but he's got signs of some serious dark magic going on. I really don't know about this one, good as you are, even you might not be able to pull this one back."  
  
While she and Lyden had been discussing the patient, Hermione's hand picked team had sprung into action. Transporting the patient into one of the emergency booths, complete with a spell and potion scanner. Hermione pushed open the swing doors and walked into the booth, without even glancing at the patient, she activated the scanner and turned around to run the large piece of equipment along the patient's body. As she turned around, she caught a glimpse of strangely familiar platinum blonde hair, but shrugged off the slight feeling of déjà vu, and started to pull back the sheet covering the patient. As she did so, Hermione finally looked fully into the face of her new patient.  
  
"Draco?!" (A/N: I was gonna end it there, but I decided that I wouldn't for two reasons. 1. That would make it far too short 2. That would just be mean, and I'm generally not a mean person, and you wanna see if he survives, right?)  
  
* * *  
  
Quickly getting over her initial shock, Hermione returned to the task in hand with a peculiar sense of determination. She was NOT going to lose this patient, lose Draco. Woah, okay what's going on here? Since when was Malfoy EVER Draco, and since when did I care whether he lived or died. Deciding that she didn't have time to puzzle over why she suddenly cared whether Dra... Malfoy lived; Hermione slowly ran the scanner over him.  
  
The scanner's reassuring and familiar bleep suddenly went wild as the scanner passed over Malfoy's arm.  
  
"What the." Hermione looked at the screen on the scanner, and her eye's widened in shock as she looked at the readout. "Christ, Malfoy, what the hell have you been up to? Okay people, I need a mark six magic neutraliser and a series four power booster."  
  
The nurses around her murmured, that was some serious equipment she was ordering. Only someone with a tremendous amount of dark magic in their system would need a mark six neutraliser. If he needed a mark six, by all rights, he shouldn't even be alive at this moment in time.  
  
"Look, do you think that he has time for you to be standing around here, NOT DOING WHAT I TELL YOU???" Hermione raged at her team, who were still standing around in various stages of shock and confusion. As she screamed, they all jolted into life, and started running around like headless chickens. Hermione felt a twinge of guilt, as a new member of her team looked perilously close to tears. She would find time later to apologize, as right now she was more than busy trying to save the man that lay in front of her.  
  
The equipment was wheeled in, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it. He had survived long enough for the cavalry to arrive, and that dramatically improved his chances. Hermione practically danced over to the two large and imposing pieces of machinery, momentarily overcome by the excitement she felt at being able to use the powerful tools.  
  
As she slid into the compartment in the neutraliser, Hermione grabbed the power booster, and slipped it on over her white coat. Flipping the switch on the front of the dark bodysuit, she felt a surge of power go through her body, ending in a tingling blue glow around her fingertips. As she ran her hands over the control panel in front of her, the neutraliser whirred into life. The magic ran through her into the machine, and from the machine into Draco. There was immediately a link between her and the motionless man on the table.  
  
Hermione could feel a steady pulsing coming from Draco's left arm, where the scanner had gone wild. She centred on this as the source of the dark magic causing Draco's problems. As she manoeuvred the neutraliser to concentrate on Draco's left arm, near the wrist, the machinery buzzed and hummed. Fuck. This isn't going well. Think, think, what can I do. That's IT!! Why didn't I think of this before?  
  
Slipping out of the booth, and motioning one of her assistants to slip in and take over, in the hopes that they could continue to aid Draco, Hermione walked over to the table. She gently placed her hand on Draco's feverish forehead and muttered a spell. This is his last hope. Please work, please, please, please, please. I know you're tough; this is the time to prove it to me, come on, just hold on. I've never lost a patient and you will NOT be the one to defeat me.  
  
She felt the power surge from her into Draco, and smiled, she was boosting his energy levels with some of her own magic. This would hold him until they could figure out what was wrong and fix him.  
  
"I've got it!" Cried the young assistant jubilantly. "Well, what is it?" Asked Hermione irritably "I've got no idea, but the machine does, and it's fixing him as we speak, we'll just have to wait until he wakes up to find out what was wrong." "Okay, lets move him out then."  
  
As Draco's bed was wheeled out of the emergency department, Hermione watched it leave with a strange mixture of emotion in the pit of her stomach. A well-meaning nurse tapped her on the shoulder. "Dr. Granger? Your shift is over now, would you like me to arrange some transport for you, it's been a long shift." Hermione shook her head, no. Even as she walked out of the hospitals doors, she knew she'd be back before her next shift. The follow-up care queen was about to strike again, and she knew this time she'd get more involved than she should. 


	4. Chapter 4: Floating Sleep

A/N: Hey there y'all! I'm back again with a request, if you have any ideas on how to improve my story, I would really appreciate it if you would either tell me in your reviews (big hint) or email me at: illegalcow@hotmail.com. Thanks, I really appreciate it. Also, if anyone wants me to email them when I update, just mail me or put it on the end of your review (hint so big it obscures the sun, and we all die of vitamin D deficiency) Once again, thank you so much to my reviewers, luv you all, mwah.  
  
Disclaimer: These beautiful creations belong to J.K and unfortunately not me, living in my unheated flat on a crappy student loan.  
  
Chapter 4: Floating Sleep  
  
It was barely dawn the following day when Hermione made her appearance at Draco's bedside. She had already posted an open apology to her ream on the notice board in the doctors office, so her conscience was clear on that point (A/N: Hermione is a fully qualified doctor, she was so great at medical school that she graduated really quickly.), although Hermione might be mean in tense moments, she hated knowing that she had upset people.  
  
Hermione walked into the intensive care ward, and was greeted by the staff nurse on duty.  
  
"Why hello there Hermione, I've been expecting your visit! So this is your new patient is it? Well, he's a handsome looking fella, I'll give him that. He hasn't woken yet, but we're expecting him back in the land of the living sometime soon."  
  
"Thanks Colleen, oh by the way, have you heard any more about how he came to be in the Leaky Cauldron?"  
  
"Well, it seems that he was disapparated for quite some time, you know how that can happen in extremely tired or injured people." Hermione murmured her assent, it was a syndrome called Floating Sleep, where a person could have apparated from one place, and not have arrived in the destination. It was quite rare, as most people knew to avoid apparating when they were tired or injured, however many cases of emergency apparition had ended in Floating Sleep. It enabled the person to have some recuperation time, to get back their strength for the re-apparation, and was quite harmless.  
  
"I wonder how long he was gone for. Have you had time to do the FSP yet?"  
  
"Why yes indeed sweetheart, we think he was gone for about five hours, but we're not sure."  
  
"FIVE HOURS?? Wow, that's a hell of a long time, he's obviously really tough huh!"  
  
"It seems that way. Now, I was told that you knew the patient, could you help me fill out a background for him?" "Well, I didn't know him that well, but I'll tell you anything I know."  
  
Ten minutes later Hermione emerged from the nurse's station feeling quite bad, to think that she'd been at Hogwarts with Malfoy for seven years, and she only knew the most basic things about him. Well, there was plenty of time for her to get to know him in the recuperation period, that is, if he wasn't such an idiot as he had been for their entire school career.  
  
Hermione stepped through the door into Draco's room, and looked around her. It was just the basic hospital room, but somehow, it seemed nicer than all the other hospital rooms Hermione had seen before. However, there was one glaring omission in Malfoy's room that made Hermione feel a pang of pity for her motionless ex-enemy. There were no flowers. No get-well cards, no grapes that couldn't be eaten, no chocolates, no signs that anybody cared about the man that lay deathly pale in the hospital bed.  
  
The room itself was pleasant and airy, with white walls and a window that was shut against the cool breeze of the day. The sunshine was warm through the panes of glass, and fell in golden lines across the bed. There were two armchairs for well wishers and family to sit in, however both were unoccupied, and there was an empty table in one corner. The bed was made up with white crisp cotton sheets and a baby blue blanket, which Hermione knew to be warm and soft. Draco was lying in the bed, with his eyes closed, but no unsightly tubes emerging from his mouth or nose, and only one tube emerging from his pale, muscular arm, attached to a drip.  
  
Hermione grudgingly admitted that he was probably the most handsome man in the building, sick or healthy. 'How can he look good, even when he's sick? That should be illegal, or at least severely frowned upon.' She walked over to one of the armchairs and pulled it towards Draco's bed, she sat down and sat watching him for any signs of life. Hermione stretched out her hand to hold his, then snatched it back, okay, come on! 'You hold all your patients hands, why should Malfoy be any different, it doesn't mean that you like him. It would be unethical to treat him any differently, just reach out and hold his hand. It's not a big thing, come on, you can do it!'  
  
Taking a deep breath, she reached out again and grasped the motionless hand. It felt differently to how she'd expected it to, it wasn't cold and smooth, but warm and slightly rough, like he'd done some physical work during his life. It wasn't an unpleasant roughness, but manly and rugged. 'Manly and rugged?! What the HELL are you thinking, you stop it right now Hermione Anne Granger, I am warning you. STOP IT!'  
  
Just as she was finishing her internal tirade, the much debated over hand suddenly moved, letting out a small shriek Hermione dropped the hand like it was burning hot.  
  
"Don't do that, it felt nice." Exclaimed a voice that Hermione knew all too well, but it was different this time, not sneering, but pleasant, even longing.  
  
"So you're awake then, good, perhaps you can inform us of a few details that we are, as yet a little fuzzy on. However, first things first, how do you feel? Any nausea, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, can you move all your limbs?"  
  
"Woah, woah, slow down! First thing's first, where am I?"  
  
"You are in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies."  
  
"Oooookaaaay, and next, who am I?"  
  
"Oh God." * * *  
  
Ten minutes later, Hermione had established that Draco remembered very little about his personal history, or what had happened to him leading up to his accident, however, even though he couldn't remember going to Hogwarts, he had a perfect memory of magic.  
  
"Okay, this is really weird, and quite scary." Admitted Draco, "I mean did I know you? Can you tell me anything about myself, please? Merlin, this is strange, me asking a complete stranger to tell me about myself! Speaking of complete stranger, you can fill me in on yourself while you're at it, I can see we're gonna be spending a lot of time together for the foreseeable future!"  
  
It seemed surreal for Malfoy to be asking about Hermione, and she couldn't help but smile at the turns life took. Draco, taking her smile as a positive sign settled back on his pillows and grinned back.  
  
"Okay pretty lady, fill me in." Slightly shocked at Malfoy's newfound ability to smile, Hermione missed the fact that he called her pretty and started her story.  
  
"Well, I never knew you very well, but we went to school together for seven years."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait, hold up a second. We went to school together for seven years and you didn't know me very well?" Draco queried. 'God, I must have been a complete idiot if I didn't make a pass at this girl at least once!' he thought inwardly.  
  
"Well, no, you see we were in different houses, and there was no small amount of animosity between us. It was stupid really, but it seemed the most important thing to us at the time, keeping up appearances and traditions." For some reason known only to herself Hermione was reluctant to tell Malfoy that they had out and out hated each other, or what was the reason behind the hate. She liked the way he spoke to her at the moment, like an equal, like they were friends.  
  
"Well, that's the way kids can be I guess, but it seems silly," Draco reached out and squeezed her hand. "I was obviously missing out."  
  
'He touched me, he willingly touched me, oh yes, go me, go me, go me!!' Hermione's inner self was dancing delightedly around the room. Slightly disgusted with herself, Hermione hurriedly continued with her Cliff Notes of Malfoy's life.  
  
"Well, you came from an extremely rich family, the Malfoy's, I mean you probably have more money than everyone in this hospital put together."  
  
"Wow, well that's always a good thing to know eh!" Draco exclaimed with his eyes wide open in shock and pleasure.  
  
"Yep, well we don't know what happened to your father, but your mother, Narcissus, died several years ago, right at the end of our seventh year at Hogwarts."  
  
"D-d-do you know how?" asked Draco, somehow feeling pain for the death of a woman he had never known  
  
"Weeeeeell.." said Hermione, reluctant to tell him the tragic circumstances.  
  
"Please." said Draco, quietly, and Hermione crumbled.  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you okay, your father, Lucius.well he beat her to death, he'd been beating her for years, and one day he went to far. She died of extensive internal bleeding. There was evidence that she'd been near death before as well. Your father disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. You lived in Malfoy Manor alone with your house elves from the end of our time at Hogwarts till now. There was always speculation that you knew where he was, but you never revealed him."  
  
Throughout the tale of his mother's death, Draco had been getting paler and paler, but Hermione felt that it was best to get it all over with in one go. "I'm gonna be sick!" Draco blurted out, and Hermione leapt up and grabbed the small bowl that was placed on the side, for just that purpose. She got it into position under his mouth just in time. Draco heaved and heaved until there was nothing left inside him, Hermione stood there behind him, stroking his hair with her free hand murmuring comfortingly.  
  
When he'd finished, Hermione handed him a box of tissues, and placed the bowl into a purpose made receptacle in the wall, where it was magically cleaned, and placed the now pristine bowl back on the side. "I'm sorry." Draco whispered " It's fine, don't worry about it! I've been puked on more times than you've had hot dinners, and you made it to the bowl!"  
  
"It was just the story..."  
  
"I think that you should rest for a while now. You've had a long day, and you're still not 100%." Draco nodded his agreement, and settled back down in his bed. As Hermione turned to leave he grabbed her wrist.  
  
"Thank you. Will you come back tomorrow? It's just I don't know anybody, and I want to find out who I am and.."  
  
"I'll be back tomorrow, you should sleep now." Hermione smiled, as Draco let go of her wrist, rolled over and immediately fell asleep, like a small child. For some reason, she felt a compelling urge to kiss his cheek, and had leaned over and pressed her lips to his warm skin before she knew what she was doing. She straightened up and smiled before leaving the room and closing the door quietly behind her. Draco slept on quietly, never knowing.  
  
* * *  
  
It was the following morning when Draco woke, and the sunshine was once again slanting through the window onto his pillow. Rolling over onto his back, he groaned at the realization that it was only 7:15 in the morning. He pushed the button that was beside his bed, and a nurse popped her head around the door.  
  
"Would it be possible for me to have a shower please?" Draco enquired politely.  
  
"Why no sir, I'm afraid it's not, you see you might fall and injure yourself. You could have a bath though, if you'd like?"  
  
"That would be perfect, thank you." The nurse stepped away from the door, and walked down the corridor towards the bathroom, musing on her patient. It was the legendary Draco Malfoy to be sure, but he wasn't anything like his reputation suggested. Maybe the rumour that he'd lost his memory was true, and if that was true, then maybe the rumour that He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named was dead was true as well. With a spring in her step, the young nurse continued down the corridor.  
  
Draco was about to step into the bath, when he noticed his reflection in the mirror, intrigued, he stepped forward to take a closer look. He saw fairly short, extremely blond hair atop a fairly attractive face. He had a well defined jaw, a long-ish, thin nose, and great cheekbones. His eyes were the showstoppers though, he didn't think he'd ever seen eyes the colour of his before. They were the palest shade of blue imaginable, swirled with grey that almost looked silver.  
  
The rest of him wasn't so bad either, broad shoulders, arms that were muscular and toned. 'Hmmm, I must work out.' Draco's chest was defined, with a six-pack, and the very faintest spattering of soft blond hair, a few shades darker than the hair on his head. His stomach went down into narrow hips, with a small line of hair going from his belly button, down his flat stomach into.'Hey, pretty damn impressive, even if I do say so myself.' His legs were muscular, although not so much so, as to look out of proportion with his slim, taut body. 'Goddamn, I must've broken some hearts in my time!'  
  
Laughing at himself, Draco turned to get into the bath, and his laughter died away as he caught sight of his back. It was criss-crossed with innumerable scars, some new, some old. Some of them looked like burn scars, some whip scars, a lifetime of pain written across his back. Draco knew immediately who was to blame for this; it must have been his father, Lucius. He made up his mind to tell Hermione when she visited later that day; Draco sank into the bath, and began to think. He wracked his mind, for any clues about his past, anything at all, even the bad stuff.  
  
He relaxed after about ten minutes of hard searching. 'I'm not gonna force it, it'll come back, I know it will. It has to, I'm gonna nail that bastard for what he did to me and my mother.' Draco floated in the bath for a few minutes more, and then began to wash, he hauled himself out of the bath when he'd finished. He wanted to be ready for when Hermione came to visit; it was amazing how much he was looking forward to it, even though he'd only known her for a few hours. It must be because she's the only person I know. He thought. 'That, or because you fancy the pants off her,' piped up the devilish part of his mind.  
  
Draco dried himself off, and pulled on a pair of the hospital's pyjamas, blue brushed cotton, that were extremely comfortable. He padded back down to his room in his bare feet, and decided not to get back into his bed, but sit in the chair by the window, with the book that he'd requested when he went for his bath.  
  
That was exactly where Hermione found him when she walked into the room two hours later, completely engrossed in Misery by Stephen King. "Hey you, did you sleep well?" She asked, giggling slightly when she saw him jump, and hurriedly look around.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I did thanks." Draco replied, grinning at her. 'God, I'm really starting to like that grin of his. It's so open and friendly, and so un- Draco like.' thought Hermione.  
  
"I have something to show you, and I don't want you to freak out okay?" said Draco, suddenly looking very serious, which slightly scared Hermione. He stood up and turned around so he was facing her, and quickly pulled up the back of his pyjama top so his back was exposed. Hermione drew in her breath in a quick, shocked gasp. The sight of his back was more than she was ever expecting. 'All the time that he was so evil to me, Harry and Ron, he was living with this. All those times we taunted him about his father, I feel awful, oh shit what am I supposed to say?'  
  
Draco heard Hermione's gasp, and wondered if he'd gone too far, if this was something that he should have kept to himself. Just as he was about to pull his top down and turn around, he felt gentle fingers tracing the scars. The sensation made little shivers run down his spine, and his mouth went dry, he cleared his throat.  
  
"Lucius?" Her whisper was so quiet he barely heard it, but he felt it, a little stream of air running across his bare shoulder-blade. It was all that he could do to stop himself from shuddering.  
  
"I guess so, I mean from what you say, it sounds like something he'd do right?"  
  
"Yeah." As Hermione softly spoke, she pulled her hand away, and Draco wanted to protest, make her put it back, but he didn't.  
  
Hermione stepped back, and Draco pulled his top back down.  
  
"I brought you a present," said Hermione, finally remembering the reason that she came in the first place.  
  
"Wow, you know, you didn't have to." He said, touched that she'd thought of him, he was also secretly ecstatic.  
  
"I know, but I wanted to." She almost grinned at the look of pleasure on his face, but restrained herself. "It's not anything much." She warned, "I just noticed that you didn't have anything to make the room more pleasant, and so I thought I'd bring you some stuff."  
  
Draco grinned at the way she looked slightly nervous and embarrassed, like she was afraid he'd suddenly turn around and bite her hand off if she offered him anything. His grin faded when a thought struck him, what if the reason that she acted like that, was because at some point, that's exactly what he would have done. 'I don't like not knowing what I was like' he decided. He turned his thoughts from his past self, when Hermione brought in her bags.  
  
First of all, she handed him a bunch of flowers "Well, you know all invalids should have flowers, and I felt sorry for you because you don't have any." Hermione said it all in a rush, and he laughed out loud then, because she was blushing, and was so very cute. He leaned over and kissed her cheek in an unconscious mirroring of her late night gesture from the night before.  
  
"Thank you Hermione, they're beautiful." He crossed over to the sink in the corner of the room and filled up the vase from the shelf above, and put the flowers into it. He then walked back over to his seat, and placed the flowers on the windowsill.  
  
"Next in Hermione's bag of goodies, we have. fruit! Now I didn't know what kind you like, so I just got you loads of different kinds." She pulled out several brown paper bags from a carrier bag, followed by a large glass bowl. Inside the brown bags, there were grapes, cherries, bananas, apples, pears and oranges.  
  
"Wow, you must have spent a fortune! Thank you again!" Draco kissed her on her cheeks, swapping sides, once for each kind of fruit she'd brought, chanting the names of the fruits. (A.N. didn't know how to describe that, like grapes, kiss, cherries, kiss other side, etc) Hermione was blushing when he finished.  
  
"Anything else, oh gift queen of the Universe?" Draco said jokingly, not expecting there to be anything else.  
  
"Umm, yeah, we have chocolates and some get well cards from various people."  
  
"Jeez Hermione, you went to a lot of effort didn't you!"  
  
"It was nothing really, you know. I mean I was happy to." Hermione was cut off mid sentence, by Draco suddenly kissing her. It was only his lips very gently touching hers, but it still sent a little tingle of pleasure running down her spine.  
  
'Oh SHIT! I just kissed her, oh fuck, what's she gonna do, is she gonna slap me, what? Just chew me out, tell me you never wanna see me again and get it over with.' Draco looked adorable. He was standing there, breathing fast, looking as if he was expecting her to hit him for kissing her. Draco Malfoy had just kissed Hermione Granger, and he was scared of her reaction. Wonders would never cease, Hermione burst out laughing at the sight of him, Draco's eyes flew open at the sound of her laughter.  
  
"What?" His scared face was gone, and now he just looked indignant. The laughter increased and Hermione was now doubled up and struggling to breathe. Tears were rolling down her face, and she was clutching her stomach which was aching from laughing so hard.  
  
"Ow, it hurts, oh God, can't stop laughing, ow, ow, ow, ow!"  
  
"What's so funny?" Draco demanded tapping it foot in irritation.  
  
"Nothing, I'm sorry. Really I'm not laughing at you, honestly. It was just your face! You looked like you thought I was going to hit you, oh man, my stomach really hurts."  
  
Draco grinned as she explained. At least she wasn't hitting him, and she wasn't laughing because he kissed her, that would have been a blow from which his self esteem may never have recovered.  
  
"Okay, that's enough laughing now, come on stop it. Good girl." He patted her head like she was a five-year-old when she finally managed to control her laughter.  
  
"There's no need to be patronising Mr. Malfoy." Hermione said indignantly. "Now come on, we need to keep going with your life or I'll never get rid of you." Draco's face fell slightly when she said that she wanted to get rid of him, but he tried valiantly to hide it from her. 'Why are you doing this to yourself Draco? She's your doctor, nothing is ever going to happen between you, and you heard her, she wants to get rid of you. You're nothing more than a patient to her; besides, she's far too good for you. What did you ever do to deserve a person like her? Face up to the truth Draco, you'll never have her./  
  
Hermione wondered what was wrong with Draco as she went and sat down at the other chair, which she had dragged across the room until it was opposite Draco's. 'Well I guess that's it now then, he will forever and always be Draco in your head. That's it, you've fallen for him, not that it's ever going to happen. You're his doctor, and you'd be completely screwed if you started up a relationship with a patient. Oh, and there's always the other fact of HE'S DRACO MALFOY! You know that you'll do your job and then he'll get his memory back, and what then. You'll be back to Mudblood and Ferret, and that'll be that. You were never meant to have someone like Malfoy, Granger, you're not good enough. You have, and always will have dirty blood.'  
  
Unaware that their thoughts were on spookily similar tacks, both Draco and Hermione sat there growing steadily more miserable until Hermione got up and announced. "I have to work tomorrow, I may not be able to come and see you for a few days, but I'll come back when I can." She turned and walked towards the door, and as she opened it to leave, she turned around and said the words that sent a chill down to Draco's heart.  
  
"I'll find someone else to come and talk to you about your past." 'So that's it then Draco, she's gone.'  
  
A/N: Phew that was a long chapter, and a bit angsty for my liking, but never fear, I promise that it will have them together, coz I don't like ones that pretend to be Draco/Hermione and then aren't. However, I haven't yet decided what I'm gonna do when Draco's memory comes back, which is where I need your ideas and opinions. Will he: a) Be back to nasty Draco and leave a broken hearted Hermione b) Do a) and then come to his senses c) Get his memory back, but not go nasty again d) Not regain his memory e) None of the above  
  
Whichever of them wins will have the end plot based on that option, however I'm gonna keep the final plot a secret till the end, so get voting!  
  
Grr. I just found out that all my formatting goes to shit when I upload my chapters. Hmm, okay my story musty have been mucho confusing! Well I'm tryin summat different now, hopefully it'll make more sense 


	5. Chapter 5: A Simple Request

A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers, yet again! You really help me keep going so, if you want quicker updates, you'll just have to review more ;oD. Big thanks to Spazy Sange, my new Beta for helping me speak English, lol, my typing really is BAD!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, except that great daydream where Draco.. never mind!  
  
Chapter 5: A Simple Request  
  
It had been nearly a week since Hermione's last visit, and Draco was starting to doubt that she'd ever come back. True to her word, she'd sent someone to come and talk to him about his past, a small mousy girl who had been in Ravenclaw. From her, Draco had learned the whole truth about himself, how he had ruthlessly tormented Hermione and her friends, and was in general a bit of a prick. 'No wonder she doesn't want to come back and see me, considering how much of a wanker I've been to her in the past.' Draco thought bitterly. 'Ahh, but if she really hated you for that, then why did she come and visit you in the first place? And, why did she bring you all those presents? Why was she so nice to you the first time she came to visit you?'  
  
Draco shushed his mind hurriedly, he didn't like thinking that the reason Hermione didn't visit wasn't because of his past. That meant that the reason she didn't come was because of something that he'd done since his accident. 'I shouldn't have kissed her.' he thought, with a pang of regret.  
  
Hermione was also feeling bad; she didn't like the thought that she'd abandoned Draco. 'This isn't fair on him or me. People are starting to talk, just cos I'm not doing my usual Hermione the new Florence Nightingale routine. People think that I'm becoming unprofessional, letting my past interfere with the treatment of my patients.' As much as she didn't want to do it, Hermione was going to have to visit Draco again. She wasn't going to let her career suffer because she didn't want Draco to reject her when he got his memory back.  
  
Hermione was getting regular progress reports from Helga, the Ravenclaw girl that she'd asked to talk to Draco. Apparently, he still couldn't remember a thing, but he was horrified when he heard about how horrible he was to Hermione. As much as she'd tried to hide it, Hermione had felt a little rush of pleasure when she'd heard that. 'Maybe if he regrets it, he'll change when he gets his memory back.' Piped up Hermione's inner self delightedly. 'Then again maybe not.'  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
It was nearly four in the afternoon when Hermione's shift ended and she made her way up to Draco's private room in the men's ward. She'd been putting the visit off for a while and since she'd had holiday time forced on her by the supervisor, the visit had to be now. Hermione grimaced at the memory of her supervisor's stern face. "Look Hermione, I don't want you collapsing of exhaustion while you're working. It'd look bad for the hospital, so you ARE taking holiday time, I don't care what you do with it, but you're taking it."  
  
Despite Hermione's protests that she was fine, Dr Markus had refused to be moved, and so Hermione was looking at two weeks curled up with the latest medical textbooks on her sofa. Sighing, she pushed open Draco's door, and quietly stepped in, looking around to see where he was.  
  
Draco was sitting in his armchair, with a book open in his lap, but he was staring out of the window rather than reading it. He didn't even notice that Hermione had walked in, so she took the time to admire his profile outlined against the glorious sunshine. 'God he looks good.' She thought to herself, before clearing her throat, alerting Draco to her presence, and knocking him out of his silent reverie. He looked up, startled, and then allowed himself to break out into a wide, delighted smile.  
  
"Hermione! It's so good to see you! You've been hiding yourself away, it's been what, a week since you last visited me? I was beginning to think that it was something I'd done!" He joked, though there was seriousness in his eyes that Hermione noticed  
  
"No, I've just been very busy lately, what with work and stuff." There was an awkward silence, as the two of them wracked their brains to try and come up with a suitable conversation topic. Draco was the first to break the silence, much to Hermione's relief, however her relief quickly faded when she heard his conversation topic.  
  
"I've been getting on well with Helga, and making a lot of progress, we've covered the whole of Hogwarts."  
  
'What's he gonna say? Is he going to apologise, what am I supposed to do if he starts to apologise?' Hermione's mind quickly babbled, while Draco slowly continued.  
  
"I found out that I was mean to you, and I just want you to know that I really am sorry. I know that it probably doesn't mean much after all the years that I tormented you, but I am sorry."  
  
"That's okay Draco; honestly, it doesn't bother me any more. We were kids, and kids do stupid things to hurt each other."  
  
'Oh shit. I hurt her, I know she's only pretending that it doesn't matter, I can see it in her eyes. How could I have been such a blind fool, what did she ever do to me that I took it upon myself to make her life hell, and I must have by the look in her eyes. I wish I knew what it was that I said to her to make her dislike me so much. Damn Helga for refusing to say.'  
  
They both sat in silence for a few minutes, each completely wrapped up in their own thoughts. Draco in his silent guilt over his past self's deeds, and Hermione in her remembered pain over Draco's constant insults and put- downs. 'Well this is going well Hermione, come on say something! You never had this problem the first time you saw him, or when you saw his scars.'  
  
"I've brought a message from the doctor in charge of your case. He thinks that you're well enough to go home tomorrow." Hermione announced, expecting Draco to jump up and down with joy, and definitely not expecting the reaction that she got.  
  
"What?! No, I'm not ready; don't make me leave, please Hermione, please!" Hermione's jaw dropped with shock over Draco's sudden and passionate outburst.  
  
"What, I thought that you would have been pleased to go home, and get out of this boring place!"  
  
"Home?! You think that where I lived before is home? I don't even know where it is! This is the only place that I know now, and besides, I don't know anybody but the people here, you and Helga." Hermione mentally chastised herself for being so insensitive, she'd basically forgotten that he knew nothing of his home, and therefore returning to it would hold no importance to him.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry; I didn't think. well I'm sorry. I was completely stupid and insensitive. I'm just so used to people being ecstatic that they can go home, that it never crossed my mind that you wouldn't be happy either."  
  
"No I'm sorry, you were just being nice, and I completely bit your head off, I apologize." Draco trailed off into silence and his eyes glazed over.  
  
"Draco? Draco, are you alright. what's wrong?"  
  
Draco was held in the grip of a memory, his first memory of his life from before. In it, he and Hermione were facing each other in a stone walled corridor, and were wearing matching robes with the same crest on their left breast pocket, but with a different colour tie on underneath their robes. His was silver and green diagonal stripes, while her's was gold and red. Draco immediately realised that this must be at Hogwarts, and what struck him as strange was that he wasn't seeing this memory from his point of view, but an outsider's. He looked about fourteen in this memory, and he guessed that they must have been in their third year at school.  
  
Young Draco had a sneer on his face, and looked completely snotty and annoying to the current Draco. Young Hermione was flushed with rage, and her normally warm honey-brown eyes were flashing with anger.  
  
The memory unfolded around Draco, and he watched on, as his young self stormed off down the corridor, still wearing the sneering scowl, followed by two bulky looking henchmen. Hermione stayed still in the corridor looking on the verge of tears, as two boys came up behind her. One, with black hair, hugged her and appeared to be asking if she was alright, while the other, with bright ginger hair patted her on the shoulder. These must be Harry and Ron, Draco deduced. 'They look like the friends that she deserves to have' Thought Draco approvingly. The three then walked off together in the same direction that he himself had stalked off in.  
  
Abruptly Draco was back in his hospital room, with Hermione kneeling in front of him, waving her hand in front of his eyes, repeating his name over and over with a tinge of panic in her voice.  
  
"I'm back, I just remembered something though, about my past, and it had you in it."  
  
Hermione sat down in the chair opposite his and prepared for his comment about her being a Mudblood, and for her to get out of his room. It didn't come however and she was surprised by his next words.  
  
"You and I were standing in a corridor, and you looked angry at me, although I don't remember what happened. God we must really have had some bad arguments! I suppose they were all childish really, but I've remembered something, and that must be a good thing right? You looked like you really hated me though, do you still hate me? You can leave if you do, or if you haven't forgiven me and don't want to speak to me. You don't need to stay out of pity you know." Draco's voice had taken a bitter twist to it at the end, and Hermione's heart wrenched at the sound of it.  
  
Draco sat quietly, fully expecting Hermione to reveal her complete hatred for him, or just walk out, relieved that she never had to speak to him again. He was surprised by how upset he was that she hated him. 'Well, you're in a right situation now aren't you Draco, my lad? I think you're falling for this beautiful girl that you so mercilessly tormented in your forgotten past. Dearie me, talk about your divine retribution, she must be laughing her ass off!'  
  
"I did hate you, yes, but I don't now. We were just children, and all children do things to hurt each other. You aren't the person that was mean to me, and honestly I don't think that you ever thought about the consequences as a child. I think that you were just parroting what your father had taught you, and you never really meant what you said, that you were just keeping up appearances. Now that your free from your fathers brutality and his teachings you can show your true self, and the fact that you apologised is enough to make me stay"  
  
'Wow, talk about an outpouring of emotion there Hermione! Well, I think that it's fairly obvious that you're falling for Draco Malfoy, which in all honesty, probably isn't the best move!' Draco's relief at Hermione's words was so great that he almost sighed out loud. 'You have been blessed by the Gods, Draco Malfoy, now talk to her and make sure that she doesn't regret her decision to not leave.'  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
After their unsteady beginning, Draco and Hermione were soon chatting away like old friends, or new lovers. Hermione didn't know why she'd put off her visit for so long, because Draco was so easy to talk to that she felt that she'd known him for years. Draco was just so glad that Hermione hadn't walked out of his life forever that he was content to just sit there and chat for hours.  
  
"Anyway, I'd better be going. I've probably been here for quite some time, cos I can see that the sun's gone down." Hermione glanced at her watch, and then looked back again, not quite believing what it said.  
  
"It cannot be 10:30! I've been here for six and a half hours. God, you must be dying for me to leave!"  
  
"It only seems five minutes since you got here though! It can't have been six hours!"  
  
"They'll shoot me for this, especially with you having such a big day tomorrow what with you going home and everything."  
  
"Oh Gods, don't remind me, I'm really dreading it, I mean I'm leaving behind everything I know to go to a place that'll probably trigger nothing but bad memories for me."  
  
"I didn't know you were dreading it that much, do you want me to go and ask Dr Markus if you can stay for a while, until you feel ready to leave?"  
  
"No, I've got to get it over with. It would be so much easier if I could have somebody with me though. I don't suppose that you want to."  
  
"Want to what?" Asked Hermione, genuinely confused as to what he wanted.  
  
"Well, you said that you had some forced holiday time, and that you had nothing to do. I was just wondering if you would maybe do me a huge favour and come and stay with me while I adjust. No wait, forget that I asked, it was a stupid idea. I'm sure that you don't want to give up your free time and hard earned holiday to come and look after me." Draco's face had dejection mixed with blind hope and Hermione's heart broke for him, before she even knew what she was doing she'd already replied.  
  
"Of course I will Draco, I mean what are friends for right?"  
  
At the look of delight and pleasure on his face, she was suddenly glad that she'd said she would go. 


	6. Chapter 6: Locks Without Keys

A/N: Hey, I did promise that I would get this up, and I don't break my promises! Once again, thank you to all my great reviewers! As some of you are authors already, I don't need to tell you how much it means for people to tell you that they enjoy what you write or to give you advice on what to say. For those of you who aren't authors, let me just say that it's a great feeling and you should keep it up, even if it's just to say I don't think this part works well. Please, please, please keep reviewing, and I'll reward you appropriately ;o)  
  
Disclaimer: Only Dr. Jameson's my idea, and he's based on my doctor, so I can't really claim him either (sigh) Oh well!  
  
BIG THANKS!!! Yay to my beta Spazy Sange for her help.couldn't have done it without you!  
  
Chapter 6: Locks Without Keys (Exploring Malfoy Manor - Part I)  
  
It was ten am the next morning when Draco was discharged with a clean bill of health from St Mungo's. The doctor in charge had prodded and poked him until Draco was sure that the man was taking some sick pleasure out of causing him pain. He was just preparing to hit Dr. Jameson and make a run for it when the man stopped and sat back down in his chair.  
  
"Well young man, you've made an amazing recovery. I've never seen a case as severe as yours pull through before, you must be a very strong individual! Of course, the fact that Dr. Granger was the doctor on call the night you came in obviously helped a great deal. The best doctor we've ever had that young girl, absolutely amazing."  
  
The doctor's speech trailed off into nothing as Draco stopped concentrating, for some reason he'd felt a huge swell of pride when Dr. Jameson was talking about Hermione. He grinned at his own stupidity, 'Like you have anything to be proud of! It wasn't you who was there, encouraging her all throughout her life was it? Don't be such a fool and get back to the task in hand.'  
  
The doctor was still talking about the severity of his injuries and Draco was finding it hard to concentrate. There was a knock at the door, and a nurse came in smiling broadly.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt you sir, but the transport for Mr. Malfoy is here." She turned to Draco and winked. He was slightly confused by this, but extremely grateful for any excuse to escape the clutches of the boring Dr. Jameson.  
  
As he stepped out into the corridor, the nurse turned to him and said cheerily, "We always give the patients ten minutes of him talking then come and rescue them!"  
  
"I'm very glad you do," Draco said half smirking and jokingly kissed the nurse's hand. He was slightly surprised by her reaction, but mildly pleased. She turned bright red, and giggled  
  
"Ooh Mr. Malfoy, I've heard stories about you! Get on with you now back to your room and pack; I'm a married witch I'll have you know!"  
  
Draco gave another of his famous smirks and turned to go round the corridor, only to catch out of the corner of his eye, the nurse smile and sigh. 'This is GREAT!' Draco thought, 'Women are practically offering themselves on a plate!' This was an immensely satisfying thought and he was very happy when he walked into his room, where the happiness was only intensified. Hermione was standing, looking out of his window, seemingly deep in thought. 'Maybe she's having second thoughts about coming with me, or maybe she's completely changed her mind and has come to tell me she's not coming or maybe.'  
  
The escalating paranoia of Draco's thoughts was abruptly cut off by Hermione's voice.  
  
"I see you got trapped by Dr. Jameson. In that case, I'll forgive you for being late. Come on, hurry up, the cab is outside waiting and I don't want to have to pay loads extra because you can't get your ass in gear."  
  
"Alright then, I'll pay loads extra because I can't get my ass in gear." Draco replied and began gathering up his bags. While he was doing this, he noticed Hermione's own small bag, it couldn't have contained very much at all, and Draco's heart sank.  
  
"You're obviously not staying long then." He commented, pointing at Hermione's bag.  
  
"Not necessarily. I didn't know how long you would want me to stay, so I charmed this bag to transport what I wanted from home, so I have access to all the stuff in my apartment."  
  
"Wow, that's an impressive spell!" Draco said, stunned by her ingenuity and pleased that she wasn't only planning on staying one night.  
  
"I found it in this really great book of old spells that I bought on holiday two years ago. I can get it to show you when we get back to your house if you like."  
  
"I would like that a lot Hermione." He smiled, turning back to his bags, and missing the emotion that flashed through her face.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
When Draco had finally got all of his stuff together, after much nagging from Hermione, they made their way down the stairs, and towards the front door of the hospital. Just as they were about to step outside and down the front steps, Draco stopped.  
  
"What? Is something the matter?" asked Hermione, confused by his sudden halt.  
  
"If I take one more step, I'll be leaving behind everything that I know. This must be what it's like being born; you leave behind this safe, warm place to go out into this place that you know nothing about."  
  
Hermione was annoyed that she hadn't thought about the significance of this event for him. She was more worried about what he might remember when he got to Malfoy Manor. 'That's great Hermione, always three steps ahead, as usual.'  
  
"You're not leaving EVERYTHING behind, you've still got me." she said, and smiled at him. 'God, look at her Draco, I'm sure you never did anything to deserve this, I must have been a saint in a previous life or something. Look at that smile, I must have been so blind not to notice this when I was a kid.'  
  
"Thanks." he said, suddenly realising that he'd just been staring at her, without responding, and she was starting to look worried.  
  
Together they walked down the steps, and onto the pavement below, Hermione stepped forward and spoke to the cab driver, and then turned to Draco. She motioned for him to get into the cab, and looked confused when he shook his head.  
  
"Ladies first."  
  
'He thinks of you as a lady, he thinks of you as a lady.' Hermione's mind chanted in an annoying singsong fashion. 'Hee hee, you're in there girl, go for it!' Hermione was becoming distinctly annoyed with her mind as she slid into the car, followed by Draco.  
  
The cab set off, and drove quickly until it was out of the centre of London, and on a quiet road. Then there was a loud bang, and they were driving through the peaceful country lanes of Derbyshire. The cab worked in a similar way to the Knight bus, and would pop straight back to London when it had dropped off Draco and Hermione. The cab turned down a long gravel drive and halted in front of an imposing building of grey stone. The house was enormous, bigger than Buckingham palace, and was facing directly into the morning sun.  
  
There were huge oak doors with large iron handles, each carved with a picture of a sinuous dragon. Hermione gasped, and was stood, completely in shock, while Draco paid the cab driver. When the cab had driven off, Draco turned and stood with Hermione, for some reason, not awed by the immense building and took her arm.  
  
"Shall we?"  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
Draco stepped up the small step to the front doors, then stopped and turned around.  
  
"Did I have a key with me or anything, when I came in?"  
  
"No, you didn't have anything." Hermione replied, suddenly realising the problem that they had, where were they supposed to go, if they couldn't get in?  
  
Draco turned to the doors again, and decided to try the handle, just in case. He reached out and placed his hand on the cool, smooth metal and turned it, not expecting it to do anything. The dragon, carved onto the handle grew warm and hissed "Welcome Master Draco", and the door swung open.  
  
Hermione had stepped up behind Draco, just in time for her to see the dragon speak to him. He turned to look at her with wide eyes, and she looked back, just as amazed as he was.  
  
"Wow, that was.was.fantastic!!!!" Draco enthused, pleased by his house already.  
  
"Yeah, it was, I've got one question though, what if I get locked out, and you're not here? If you're the only one who can open the door..."  
  
"Are you really that likely to be here without me though?" Draco asked and regretted it as Hermione flushed, obviously embarrassed.  
  
"Well, we could see how they work and try to get them to recognise you if you like." He added hastily, trying to get off the subject, he didn't want to upset her enough to make her want to leave. "Just don't go letting any of my many mortal enemies inside!" He joked.  
  
Hermione smiled, and nodded, putting her hand on the handle of the other door to push it open. Both she and Draco had their hands on the handles at the same time, and the dragon on Hermione's handle hissed, "Name"  
  
Hermione looked at it shocked, and then her quick mind suddenly figured out the puzzle. "Miss Hermione Granger" she stated clearly, and both the dragon on her handle and the one on Draco's grew warm.  
  
"Step back a second and close the door would you Draco?" He instantly complied, and a slightly apprehensive Hermione stepped up to the now closed door and turned the handle. "Welcome Miss Hermione." the dragon hissed, and the door swung open.  
  
"Good, my house likes you." exclaimed Draco, with a pleased expression on his face.  
  
"Well, I guess that a person who already has access to the house has to put his hand on one handle, and the new person has to put their hand on the other handle and then they can be granted access. What an interesting spell, I'm going to have to research that some more, I wonder where it came from."  
  
Hermione's voice trailed off, and Draco could see her thoughts already working out places she could find information, what books she could look in. He'd never seen her so completely absorbed in anything before, and he felt like laughing. It was so weird that she could be so excited about a door of all things, but at the same time, it was so endearing that he wanted to hug her and never let go.  
  
A roll of thunder from the increasingly black sky overhead brought them both back to the situation in hand. Hermione pushed open the door as far as it would go, and then ran back down to the drive to grab her bag, and help Draco with his. They ran together back up to the house and just as they stepped through the door, the rain came pouring down.  
  
"That was close." Hermione observed, and they both stood, just looking at the heavy rain for a few minutes. The drops were fat, and the rain was so heavy that you couldn't see more than a few metres in front of you. A sudden gust of wind blew the rain into the house, and onto the two people that stood together in the doorway. They leapt back and swung the door closed, laughing at the sudden drenched state of the other.  
  
Hermione pulled out her wand, and dried herself with a quick charm, and Draco did the same. Then, by some silent agreement, they turned as one to look at the room in which they stood. It was a large entrance hall, square in shape, with a floor made of grey flagstone. The walls were also made of grey stone, slightly softened by large paintings and tapestries, similar to the ones in Hogwarts. There were four flights of stairs leading upwards, one from each corner of the room, presumably leading to the four wings of the mansion, and two flights of stairs leading downwards, the two flights of stairs faced each other, and one must have lead to the kitchen, and Hermione didn't want to think about where the other one lead.  
  
"Are we gonna explore?" asked Draco, curious about the place where he grew up.  
  
"Yeah, if you want. Shall we leave the bags here and come and get them when we've decided where we're sleeping?"  
  
"That sounds like a plan to me. Come on then, lets get started or we'll never get finished."  
  
Draco set off up the staircase nearest to him, and paused, waiting for Hermione to follow. She seemed reluctant to go up the stairs, so he went back down to where she was standing.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
She shrugged and frowned slightly. "I don't know, it's just strange to be inside Malfoy Manor, and I don't feel like I should be here. I know it's probably stupid, but this house gives me the creeps."  
  
"You don't have to stay if you really don't want to." Draco said, looking disappointed. 'See, she's only been here five minutes, and she's already looking for excuses to leave. You shouldn't have made her come with you, Draco, you're an idiot.'  
  
"No, it's fine, I'll stay. Just. just don't leave me behind okay?"  
  
"I promise." He replied, smiling at her. He held out his hand, and Hermione took it, together walked up to the top, and made their way down the long corridor at the top of the stairs. *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
Throughout the first wing of the house, Draco held Hermione's hand, and he loved the fact that she didn't try to make him let go. He was fascinated by his house, but couldn't take his mind off the fact that something must have happened to make Hermione afraid of it. Also, there was something bothering him about the second staircase that lead downwards, he didn't know what it was yet, but it didn't seem good.  
  
The first wing was all guest rooms, beautifully furnished and each of them dust free and ready for use.  
  
"You must have house elves; they'll probably be in the kitchen Maybe we can go and see them in a bit?" Hermione asked, looking hopeful.  
  
"Of course we can, we have to let them know we're here, so they can make dinner for us. Tell you what, we'll do the second wing, and then go down to the kitchens, okay?"  
  
"Okay." Hermione replied, and they made their way down the stairs into the entrance hall, and up the second flight of stairs. Halfway up, Hermione moved to look at a picture, and pulled her hand out of Draco's. 'Oh shit! I didn't mean to do that! Great, I'm never going to get him to offer his hand a second time.'  
  
Draco kept his face impassive, while feeling disappointed that she'd let go of his hand. 'Come on, she wasn't going to hold your hand forever now, was she! Get over it you stupid boy!'  
  
Hermione still walked closely by Draco, as they came to the first room in the corridor. It was another bedroom; only this one was obviously lived in. It wasn't Draco's room, but Lucius'. It had a large four poster bed, with black sheets on it; all over the ceiling were dark magic symbols and spells to keep out intruders. Draco freely stepped into the room, but when Hermione tried, she couldn't step through the door. It was like walking into a brick wall, and Hermione yelped in pain, and put her hand to her forehead. There was a burning pain shooting through it that only diminished when she stepped back from the door. She slid to the floor on the opposite side of the corridor, still holding her head, in an attempt to stop the pain.  
  
"Hermione!" Draco yelled, "Are you okay, what happened?"  
  
"I can't go through that door, it hurts. It's okay, I'll stay here, and you look in that room."  
  
"I don't want to leave you out here on your own, it's fine, we'll leave that room."  
  
"No! It's your dad's room, and you want to look around! Go ahead; I'll be fine out here until you're finished." Seeing that Draco was about to protest, she interrupted. "I won't take no for an answer. Go!"  
  
Draco looked torn, and she could see that he really wanted to go and look in his father's room. He needed the clues to his past that his father's room may provide.  
  
"Only if you're sure."  
  
"I'm sure, I'll be fine, you go and look around." Draco smiled at her, and she smiled back, before wincing at the pain in her forehead. She closed her eyes, and heard the rustling of Draco's clothes as he stood up. She felt him kiss her forehead, and the pain diminished somewhat.  
  
"I'll be right back, I promise."  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
Draco stepped once again through the threshold of the room; he looked around at the dark and depressing décor. 'How could anybody live in this room, it'd make me want to kill myself.' It was a plain room, with very little clutter or even furniture, just a bed, a chest of drawers and a bedside table. One small door in the wall lead to a wardrobe, and another lead to a bathroom, where there were minimal toiletries.  
  
There was something bothering Draco about the room, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He looked around, and tried to visualise his father in the room, only it was hard, with no face to put on him. Suddenly, it came to Draco in a rush of understanding. That was what was wrong with the room. It was completely impersonal; there were no photos, no pictures, nothing that would indicate that his father had a wife and child. The drawers and bedside table contained nothing that could help Draco, just clothes and dark magic items.  
  
Draco left the room, and headed back out to Hermione feeling sad and angry. She was still sitting on the floor, but she was no longer holding her head, she had leaned back, resting against the wall, and had her eyes closed. She was deep in thought and didn't notice Draco coming out of the room towards her.  
  
He stood there, just watching her for a while before slowly and silently walking towards her. Draco's mind was quickly flashing through her possible reactions if he kissed her, so many of them were bad, did he dare risk it? Just as he made up his mind, Hermione looked up, spoiling his plans.  
  
"Are you done in there now? You don't have to rush because of me you know, take all the time you want."  
  
"No I'm done, there was nothing in there, not even any photos. I don't think my father was particularly attentive, except when he was beating me." Draco's voice sounded sad, and his hand unconsciously went to his back. A rush of sympathy went through Hermione, and she stood up and hugged him tightly. Draco's shock was evident, but after a few seconds, he carefully put his arms around Hermione, and closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of her hair.  
  
"He obviously didn't deserve a son like you. He's not worth it, forget him."  
  
"I know, it's just. he's my father you know, and you can't help feeling sad when the person that's supposed to love you most doesn't care at all."  
  
She squeezed him even harder at these words, then reluctantly let go.  
  
"Come on, we should keep going. Maybe there'll be more helpful stuff in your room."  
  
The corridor was slightly shorter than the first one, and with fewer rooms, only four, but the rooms were much bigger. This was obviously the family wing, although Hermione wasn't sure why there were four rooms when there were only three people in the Malfoy family. The next room along the corridor was Narcissa's room, and it was far more pleasant than Lucius's room, and Hermione was able to enter, although she paused at the doorway.  
  
"Do you want to do this one alone?" she asked, trying to be tactful, not wishing to intrude where she wasn't welcome.  
  
"No. I want you to be here, I need you to be here, moral support and everything."  
  
Hermione decided to take the opportunity offered to her, and slipped her hand into his.  
  
"I'll always be here if you need support." she whispered, and together they entered the room. It was a complete contrast to Lucius's room next door. It had pale lavender walls, and the four poster bed had white sheets, with a lavender throw, the chest of drawers and bedside table matched the pale wood of the bed, as opposed to the dark wood of Lucius's. There were photos everywhere, crowding every surface, of Draco mostly, some of her and Draco, and one of Lucius.  
  
Draco sat on the bed, and let go of Hermione's hand to pick up an especially beautiful picture of himself and his mother. They were outside, and it was early summer, Draco was about two and had fine white-blond hair. His mother was a young woman, not yet marked by her years of abuse, and was smiling. Every so often, she would kiss Draco on the head, and he would smile and laugh, it was a totally happy childhood scene, and Draco loved it.  
  
"At least my mother loved me." He said wistfully as he put the photo back in its original position. He sighed, and the overwhelming sadness at his mother's death returned almost blinding him with pain. Hermione sensing his need to be alone turned to the chest of drawers and looked at some of the other photos that were arranged neatly on the top. They were of Draco at various ages, and in most of them, he hadn't yet developed the scowl that Hermione knew so well from her school days. It was only when he got to be about ten that his face changed from that of a carefree child.  
  
The sound of Draco standing up distracted her from the photographs, and she turned around. His eyes were dry, but full of pain, and she didn't know how to make it stop hurting, this wasn't like some medical illness and she felt angry at her helplessness. She turned back around and walked out of the room, leaving Draco to look for any clues to his past in his mother's room. Although it felt wrong to go through his mothers drawers, he thought that she wouldn't min, considering the reason that he had to do it.  
  
Quickly he found what he was looking for, his mother's journal. He slipped it into his pocket to look at later, when he had more time, and more privacy. He stepped out of his mother's room, to find Hermione looking at him with a strange expression on her face.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked, sounding worried  
  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Let's keep going."  
  
The next room didn't show anything exciting, it was almost like the guest rooms in the other wing, only larger, and obviously for more important guests. It was the last room that proved the most interesting. It was Draco's room. Hermione had been expecting a dark room, full of Slytherin colours and dark arts materials, so she was pleasantly surprised by the room that she walked into.  
  
It was light and airy, much like Narcissa's room, and Hermione could tell that she'd had a hand in the decorating. The walls were white, with silver woodwork; a reference to Slytherin without being overwhelming. The wood of Draco's furniture was pale, and his four poster bed had a white bedspread with a silvery green comforter. The walls were plain, with only a picture of a sunset over mountains to break the monotony of the white. It was neat and tidy, although Hermione suspected that this was the house elf's doing rather than any neatness on Draco's part.  
  
There was no apparent dark arts material about, although Hermione hadn't looked at the bookshelf that was on the far side of the room. There were no spells to prevent her entering and the whole impression of the room was that of a nice, normal young man. 'Hmm, not quite what you thought he was then, eh. Who would have thought that Draco's room could be so. so. normal? I had expected at least one 'Die Mudblood's' poster. Maybe things aren't always as they seem.'  
  
Once again, deciding to leave Draco on his own, Hermione quietly exited the room to wait on the ornately carved seat outside in the corridor. Draco wondered at Hermione's sense of tact. 'How is it that she knows exactly when to back off, and when to come closer? Maybe that's why she's such a good doctor. That and the fact that she's a genius. There's more to this girl than meets the eye.'  
  
Draco's room was characteristically plain, although he did have some photos taped to the wall above his bed. There were several of him and Narcissa when Draco was younger, and a few of Lucius. There was also a few of him as an older youth, with a variety of girls and one of him with two stocky boys who looked about as clever as pond scum. There was also a school photo with the whole of his year in it, taken the year they left Hogwarts; each student had their name written beneath them in curly silver writing.  
  
Draco looked for himself, and found he was stood with the same two stocky boys as in the picture before, smirking like mad at the camera. He raised his head from the picture to the mirror opposite his bed and smirked. 'Some things don't change then obviously.' he thought. The smirk he had now was exactly the same as the one he'd had as an eighteen year old boy. Draco turned to the picture again, looking for Hermione this time. He found her in the middle of two boys, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley.  
  
She was looking right into the camera, and was smiling a slightly sad, yet happy smile. 'I bet she was sad to leave Hogwarts.' Draco thought, accurately guessing the reason for Hermione's sadness. Hermione was very beautiful in the picture, with masses of brown ringlets blowing in the breeze. A sudden movement in the picture made Draco look back at himself, his picture self was glaring at the three students above him with undisguised hatred. He was slightly taken aback by the strong emotion his picture self displayed, and turned away from the photo.  
  
He searched his cupboards and his wardrobe for a journal, and finally found it underneath the mattress of his bed. Draco took one last look around and stepped out into the hallway.  
  
"I'm starving, come on Mya let's find some food!!" 


	7. Chapter 7: Stolen Moments

A/N: Well, here I am again, with yet another chapter! Thanks again to all of my reviewers. although I have to say, if I don't hit 50 reviews with this chapter I may consider holding the next one to ransom, so if you wanna read more, you know what to do!!!  
  
Once again BIG THANKS to the lovely Spazy Sange for dutifully ignoring my paranoid ramblings and getting this chapter sorted!  
  
Disclaimer: I keep forgetting these. bad me!!! I don't own anything.  
  
Chapter 7: Stolen Moments  
  
Draco's sudden change of attitude both confused and worried Hermione. Just five minutes before, he'd been desperate to explore the house and investigate his past, but now he was reluctant to even look at his house. He walked swiftly and with purpose down the corridor back to the entrance hall, and Hermione was reminded of the stalk that he had perfected during their Hogwarts years. He deliberately avoided looking at the beautiful tapestries and portraits on the walls and kept his eyes on the rich carpet ahead of him. She was desperate to ask him what was wrong, yet she didn't wish to pry into his private affairs. The internal struggle of curiosity against reserve kept up until they reached the staircase down to the kitchen.  
  
Finally, reserve won out and wordlessly, she followed him down into the kitchens, annoyed at herself for being so spineless. The staircase was a far cry from the ones that they had seen so far, and brought home the true nature of the Malfoy household, although it may appear refined and tasteful, the cruelty and malice simmered just below the surface. The walls were bare stone, as was the floor, and although it was clean and dry, there was a sense of neglect present, that was absent in the rest of the house. 'Obviously Lucius cares even less about his servants than he cares about his son, and that's saying something. God, I hate that bastard! A guy like him should never be allowed to have servants, let alone children!' Hermione thought, disgusted with the way Lucius behaved around other people, and his family.  
  
When the two reached the kitchens, they observed the hub of bustling activity for a few seconds before they were noticed. A sudden change went through the house elves, and they cowered back against the wall, while one, obviously the leader approached the two people stood quietly by the door.  
  
"Good afternoon, master. What can we do for you and the young mistress? Is there something that has displeased you? Should I bring any elf to you for punishment? I will go and fetch the beating stick." The trembling elf started to turn to fetch the item in question before Draco stopped it.  
  
"Umm. elf. whatever your name is, there will be no beatings issued ever again. I have. changed, and things will be a lot different around here from now on, I promise. Now, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could we please have some food, whatever you've got around will be fine. Oh, what's your name by the way?"  
  
A large tear swelled up in the elf's eyes, and slowly rolled down his wrinkled and ugly face. The joy in his eyes was almost too much for Hermione to bear, and she leant down and kissed the elf on the head.  
  
"It'll all be fine now, you'll see." she said, trying to comfort the elf, but only succeeding in making the old elf cry more.  
  
"I've been kissed by an angel," he breathed, and Hermione blushed, "Hop to it elves, we shall cook up a feast to be proud of!" He yelled to the kitchen full of stunned faces, and a huge cheer rang throughout the kitchens.  
  
"Do you have a name?" asked Draco, once again, smiling to see the elf's reaction to Hermione, although it obviously embarrassed her. He felt slightly proud, that he was able to change the house elves lives, and for the better as well. That was something that Hermione would do, not him, and it was a nice feeling.  
  
"My name is Devlin, master. If it would not be impertinent, would it be too much trouble to enquire what the name of Master's angel is?"  
  
"Well Devlin, she's not my angel, she's everyone's angel! Her name is Hermione, and you must get her anything she asks for, okay?"  
  
"Anything for Angel Hermione, Master."  
  
"Oh, and one more thing, no more of this Master stuff. Draco will do fine, okay Devlin?" Draco's words had a profound effect on Devlin, and the old elf started shaking again, and Draco was concerned about the poor old servant's health.  
  
"Do you want to sit down? Are you alright, Devlin? Here, have some water." Draco suggested, grabbing a nearby glass, and filling it from the large pitcher that was stood on the table.  
  
"Oh, Master, no! You mustn't! It isn't the thing to do! Master's must not be waiting on the servants! That isn't the way it's supposed to work! Oh, if my mother could see me now! So ashamed she would be! I cannot call Master by his first name! It isn't fitting for a servant to do that!"  
  
Draco could see the elf working himself into a state of near hysteria, and tried to calm him down before he gave himself an aneurysm or something (A/N: An aneurysm is this nasty thing where a blood vessel in your brain explodes and you die.)  
  
"Okay, alright, calm down. If you won't call me by my first name, how about Mr. Malfoy then? Hmm, will that be alright?" As the elf nodded, Draco continued, "Now then, I did say that things around here would change, and I'm going to need your help to change things, okay? Good, then will you come and see me tomorrow morning at nine o'clock in the." Draco trailed off, trying to think of a suitable place for a meeting.  
  
"The library?" Devlin suggested.  
  
"The library. Perfect, I'll see you tomorrow then Devlin. Oh, by the way, can we have that feast at nine tonight, and some sandwiches to tide us over until then?" Draco had barely finished speaking when a huge platter of sandwiches was placed on the table in front of him.  
  
"Wow, there's enough there to feed an army." Laughed Hermione.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
The two continued to explore the house, finding more bedrooms down each of the upstairs corridors. Both Draco and Hermione were surprised at the number of them.  
  
"I don't know about having enough food to feed an army, but you could definitely fit one in your house! We must have seen at least a hundred bedrooms, and I know for a fact that there were only three in your family! You could have spent three nights in each room, and it be a year before you were back to the original one. Those poor, poor house elves!" Hermione exclaimed, as ever moved by the plight of the undervalued, under appreciated creatures.  
  
Draco was amused by Hermione's sympathy that wasn't needed, he knew that the elves loved their job, and would never want to do anything else.  
  
"Come on, we haven't even explored the ground floor yet!" He was seized by a sudden childish impulse and called out "I'll race you!" He set off sprinting down the stairs and across the stone entrance hall, pushing open one of the heavy oak doors set into the wall. He heard Hermione call out, and start running after him, and he slowed his pace to one where she could keep up. Together they raced through banqueting halls, large sitting rooms with roaring fires, and ballrooms. There were huge arched ceilings and plaster walls with cherubs and pastels in some rooms, and vaulted ceilings with gargoyles and classic gothic architecture in others. Only in a magic house could you find such variety and range of decoration and it was breathtaking.  
  
Hermione's side started to ache, and she began to slow down in pace. A plan popped up into her mind, as she saw that the next room was the last in this wing.  
  
"Ooh, ow, owwwwww! My side! I've got a stitch. Draco help. Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" As Draco stopped running and turned around with a concerned look on his face, Hermione congratulated herself on being such a fantastic performer. Draco missed the evil grin on her face, and walked back to where she was standing, doubled over in feigned pain. As he bent down to see what was wrong, Hermione took off with speed that even she didn't know she had, leaving Draco stood still, confused for a few seconds. By the time he realised what was going on it was too late, and she was too far ahead for him to win.  
  
He started running all the same, cursing Hermione under his breath, as she slowed down, and hit the wall triumphantly with both of her hands.  
  
"I WIN!!" She screamed ecstatically  
  
"No fair Hermione, you cheated!" He whined, sulking that he'd been beaten by a girl, when it was his idea in the first place.  
  
"All's fair in love and sport." Hermione taunted, dancing around in glee.  
  
One fault in Hermione was that she didn't know when to stop, and as she crowed in triumph, she missed the devilish look that flitted across Draco's perfect features.  
  
"Yeah, okay you win, but."  
  
"But what? I won and you can't take it!! Na na na na na!!!" Winning brought out the child in her and she taunted Draco mercilessly, laughing all the while.  
  
Draco had had enough, and grabbing Hermione round the waist, he heaved her up above his head with one quick flex of his well toned muscles. Hermione stopped laughing and started screaming, she was terrified that he would drop her, and within five seconds, he had reverted to his old status in her mind.  
  
"Malfoy, you bastard, put me down and do it NOW! I swear that if you don't put me down I will curse your ass into the next century so fast you won't even know where your manky blonde head is. This isn't school any more, and I don't have to take this shit from you! PUT ME DOWN!!!!"  
  
Draco had intended on spinning her around until they were both dizzy, and then putting her down, but at her first words his plan disintegrated.  
  
"I thought my name was Draco." He whispered quietly before putting her down and walking out of the room.  
  
Hermione felt sick with anguish and rushed after him as quickly as she could.  
  
"Look, Draco, I'm sorry, it's just that it was so like the way it was before that I. I must have just gone back in my mind. I didn't mean it, I know you were only playing; it's just hard to redefine someone permanently in such a short space of time."  
  
"Maybe you should leave."  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
"No."  
  
"What did you say?" asked Draco, turning around with his heart in his mouth. He hadn't meant to ask her to leave and he bitterly regretted it.  
  
"I said 'No'."  
  
"I thought that's what you said." They had stopped walking in one of the large ballrooms, that was decorated with cherubs and pastel paints. It had large ceiling to floor windows on the two walls, both facing out into the beautiful gardens. Draco walked towards Hermione, and stopped when he was a short distance away from her. He was taller than she was, and she was looking directly at the base of his neck where she could see a pulse jumping underneath his pale skin. It was strange but the pulse underneath the fragile covering of cells reminded Hermione how close he had come to death, and she didn't like that thought.  
  
She kept staring at his neck and breathed in his scent of soap, clean clothes and skin with the barest hint of vanilla that was so uniquely his. She couldn't remember ever smelling something so good before, and it made her want to close her eyes, and lean close to him, making him put his arms around her and never let go.  
  
He wanted to put his arms around her and never let her go. His perfect angel. The one who saved him from death, lead him through the dark places to this room, filled with golden light and her. She filled his mind, taking up places that once belonged to dark things and indefinable monsters. She was Good and he was saved. She was the smallest and biggest thing in his life and he didn't ever want to be without her. 'This is love' he thought, and instead of the panic he expected, there was only a dull warmth and comfort.  
  
He watched her. She watched him. Neither of them moved for the longest time, each wrapped up in their own thoughts of the other. Hermione was the first to move, she lifted one smooth cool finger that soothed so many fevered brows and softly stroked the place where his pulse fluttered. She could feel it jump and speed up under her touch, and she slowly stroked it with her index finger.  
  
"I'm not leaving. I'm your doctor, and it's my duty to look after you. I don't neglect my duties and you should know that. I'm not leaving until you're better."  
  
"Good."  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
They turned and walked back into the entrance hall and faced the last door that was in the entrance hall, the one that lead to the second staircase downwards. The one that they had both been dreading, although for different reasons. The staircase was narrow and twisting and Hermione was scared that she would fall, although Draco sped down it with a confidence that was unnerving. The first room confirmed Hermione's fears.  
  
It was a large room with a cauldron in it, and the dark markings were evident on the walls. It was filled with jars that contained unspeakable atrocities, and Hermione's stomach turned. It was a horrific room, and fully demonstrated that the Malfoy's were an unspeakable Dark family. Draco's past was not as clean and pure as his present.  
  
The pain was immediate and paralysing for Hermione the minute that her feet touched the floor, although it was possible for her to move inside the room, unlike in Lucius's room. Draco could sense that she was in pain, and she stepped back up onto the stairs where the pain immediately vanished, leaving a dull ache in its place.  
  
"Maybe I could carry you across, if you don't touch the floor, maybe the spells won't work. Well it's worth a try anyway." He added at the sceptical look on Hermione's face. She nodded and Draco slid an arm underneath her legs and one around her waist and lifted her up. She put her arm around his shoulders and nodded, bracing herself for the pain she expected.  
  
Draco stepped down into the room and Hermione's body arched up from the intense pain that once again streaked through her body. It was hard for Draco to breathe as her arm had tightened around his neck with feral strength, he slid her down his body onto the stairs, and her body sagged down with exhaustion. He knelt down next to her, and stroked her hair away from her face.  
  
"I'll go on my own. I won't be long I promise." Before his courage deserted him, he leant down and quickly pressed his lips against hers. He spun and walked quickly out of the room before Hermione could react and was gone. Hermione's mouth dropped slightly open and her mind raced to catch up with the past few seconds. She'd felt a trembling mouth against her own and then he was gone before she could react. She licked her lips, and smiled at the taste of him, her heart leaping around in a crazy dance of joy in her chest. 'You never felt this way when anybody else kissed you. Not even Harry. You're in deep girl. I think you might be in love.'  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
Draco continued quickly until he was around the corner and out of sight of Hermione before he sagged against the stone wall of the dungeon. He smiled and licked his lips; once again tasting her as he'd been wanting to since he came out of the coma. He stood for a few seconds in silent satisfaction and pleasure before pulling himself back to the task in hand. 'It's stupid that you're so affected by such a small kiss. I've probably kissed my grandmother like that! Pull yourself together Draco! What would you be like if you had sex with her?! You'd probably explode or something!'  
  
He walked further down the corridor with the pleasant image of having sex with Hermione still in his brain. That was what sustained him all through the horrifying sights that he was confronted with in room after room filled with Dark magic artefacts and ugly relics that gave off waves of power and evil. Draco steeled himself as he faced the last door. The only door left in the house that was a mystery. The one that he feared most of all.  
  
Summoning up all of his courage he kicked open the door and stepped in. The room was in total darkness, and muttering a lighting spell that had worked in other rooms in the house he journeyed further into the room. It lit up with a blinding flash and Draco screamed before pitching forward onto his knees. His mind was awash with images and he couldn't cope with the constant stream of terror and pain that swamped him as he lay curled into a ball on the floor of his father's pride and joy; the torture room.  
  
It was a small room, but the echoes of pain were soaked into the walls and assaulted the senses from every angle. The walls were covered in torture implements from all ages of history, and all of them were oiled and ready for use. The table in the room had chains and locks to restrain even the strongest of people down, ready to be worked on. Draco's memories of this room flooded back, and his head felt like it was about to split apart.  
  
The memories flashed past, almost too quickly to see, and they were full of things that most people couldn't imagine. From the very first moment of his life, Draco had been abused and tortured by his father in attempts to make him strong. Even when he was a tiny baby, Lucius had cut and burned his infant son, to make him immune to pain. Every year of Draco's life had been devoted to finding ways to make his father proud of him so that the pain would stop.  
  
Images of knives cutting into his skin, pokers searing delicate flesh, and his muscles forced to lift intolerable weights flicked through Draco's mind. Unhearing he screamed, a noise so full of pain, anger and anguish that it ripped out Hermione's heart as she sat on the stairs, waiting for Draco to return. She heard it, and knew that she had to do something. Draco was in pain and she had to help him, no matter how much it would hurt to get across the room that lay ahead of her.  
  
She stood up, and braced herself for the pain that lay ahead, and sprang out into the room ahead of her. Hermione let out her own scream as she raced across the floor, resisting the pain burning through her veins with strength she didn't know she had. Even with this newfound talent, she barely made it through the room, and if the spells had carried on down the corridor all would have been lost. Fortunately, the spells were only in that room and Hermione collapsed outside the room, panting from the ordeal she had just been through.  
  
Draco screamed again, and Hermione was spurred into action, racing down the corridor, through all of the other rooms and into the chamber where Draco lay. Taking a brief look around, Hermione deduced why Draco was in such a state and decided that she needed to get him out of there. He was curled up in a ball in the middle of the floor, and was shaking with such intensity that Hermione was afraid he might hurt himself.  
  
She put her hands under his arms and heaved. Draco slid a few inches across the floor and then stopped; this was going to be a harder task than Hermione thought. It took her several minutes to get him outside, but as soon as she did, he started to recover. He uncurled and sat up, dazed and aching all over. He looked around in confusion before he noticed Hermione lying flat on her back beside him, chest heaving and tears rolling down her cheeks from the residual pain. He leant over and lightly caressed her cheek.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked gently. She nodded and started sobbing with such force, that Draco was afraid that she'd hurt herself. He pulled her up so that she was sat in his lap, as he put his arms around her and rocked her gently.  
  
"Hey, come on. It's okay, there's no need to cry, everything will be alright. It's fine, you're okay, come on." He continued mumbling reassurances as he rubbed his hands up and down her arms to try and comfort her. It seemed to be working, as her sobs were receding to hiccups, and she wasn't gripping the front of his clothes quite so tightly as she was before. He kept up the slow stroking of her arms and kept on gently talking to her until she seemed calm enough to talk.  
  
"How did you know that I needed you?" He asked, as he was fascinated by her sudden appearance in his darkest hour  
  
"You screamed, and it was. I don't know how to describe it. It was the worst sound I've ever heard in my life. It was like the scream of a dying child or something. It was full of such pain." She seemed to be on the verge of starting to cry again, so Draco quickly changed the subject.  
  
"But how did you get to me, I mean you couldn't have gone through that room, did you find a secret passage or something?" Draco's eyes widened as she shook her head.  
  
"You mean you. you went through that room for me?" He asked, amazed that she would be willing to endure such an incredible amount of pain to save someone that had made her life hell in the past. Again Hermione nodded and Draco felt humbled and honoured.  
  
"Nobody has EVER done anything like that for me before."  
  
"Maybe you didn't know the right people."  
  
"Obviously not. Thank you. It seems so insufficient, I. there's nothing that I can say to make you understand."  
  
'Maybe nothing that I can say, but maybe something I can do.' Draco thought.  
  
Slowly, he slid his hand up her arm. He gently trailed his fingers along her shoulder, and onto the smooth skin of her neck. Seeing her pulse leaping in the same place where she had observed his, he traced his index finger along it, and up to her chin. He used the tip of his finger to lift her chin so that she looked him in the eyes. Hers were tear drenched, making the usual light brown colour darker, almost black, and so deep you could lose your soul in them.  
  
"You're so beautiful" he whispered, so quietly she almost didn't hear him, a few seconds later though it didn't matter.  
  
He slowly lowered his lips to hers, giving her plenty of time to back away, and his heart leapt when she didn't. Her lips were everything that he'd ever dreamed of. Full and soft, they trembled slightly below his, but they stilled when he increased the pressure between their mouths. He ran his other hand up her side and onto her back, pulling her closer into him, until he could feel her heart pounding through his chest. Her mouth opened slightly, and never one to miss an opportunity, he deepened the kiss. His tongue quickly flicked out, and retreated, making Hermione unsure as to whether she'd imagined it. Then just as quick it was back again.  
  
This time, she caught it with her own, and they began a fully fledged kiss that Hollywood would have been proud of. Full of passion, longing and hidden love it was most definitely the best kiss of the age, if not in the memory of the world. It seemed to last forever, yet also only an instant. They reluctantly pulled away and an awkward silence fell, as neither of them knew quite what to say. Hermione shifted slightly as if to get up, but found that her muscles couldn't quite manage it.  
  
"I hate to break this moment, but I can't move and I think that we should probably get out of here."  
  
"No problem." Draco swept Hermione up into his arms, and she sighed as she rested her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head, and she lifted her chin to press a quick kiss against his lips, but had pulled away before he could react. Together, the two moved off up the corridor, like the heroes from an old romantic movie, away from the pain of Draco's past. He had escaped the memories for now, but these were stolen moments, and the idyllic façade of their lives was about to come crashing down.  
  
A/N: Oooooh spooky.lol. Anyhoo. review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review,. Thank you. !MWAH! that was a big kiss from Draco to those of you who review. so if you don't review, then sorry, you'll just have to go without!!! 


	8. Chapter 8: Shimmering Light

A.N: Hey you lot! I am sooooo sorry that this took so long to get up, but you know how it is, with Summer Break and all that stuff. Anyway, here's the latest instalment, I hope you like it, if you do, pleeeease review. Thanks!!  
  
Disclaimer: Still own nothing.  
  
Chapter Nine: Shimmering Light  
  
The long passageway was bare and dank, and both Draco and Hermione couldn't wait to get out of there. They slowly approached Lucius' potions room and Draco slid Hermione down his body until her feet touched the floor.  
  
"How do you want to do this?" He asked, concern evident on his face, seeing how exhausted she was already, thinking that she might not make it back across without succumbing to the pain.  
  
"The same way that I did it before, I think. Just.catch me if I fall?"  
  
"Always."  
  
With Draco's reassuring words echoing in her mind, Hermione turned to the ugly room ahead of her and began to psyche herself up for the physical onslaught that she was about to endure. Breathing deeply she filled her body with oxygen, then held her breath as she streaked across the room like lightning. The scream that Draco had been expecting didn't come, and she collapsed onto the stairs opposite him, once again breathing heavily, her eyes squeezed shut, her body trembling like a small animal in distress.  
  
Draco quickly crossed the room after her and knelt on the step by her, peering intently into her face. Her eyes slowly flickered open, and she found herself staring into the most intense gaze she'd ever seen. Their faces were so close together that she could feel his cool breath fanning across her cheek, and she knew that he would feel hers. Hermione's face was pale, and her lips had a bluish tinge to them, and Draco thought that she almost looked like she was dead.  
  
Carefully, so as not to hurt her more than she was hurting already, he pulled her into his lap and cradled her like a child.  
  
"I hate this room," he confessed, "I'm going to block off this passageway as soon as we get back to the main house. I don't want the reminders of my father.  
  
Hermione smiled, and shifted slightly on his lap. Draco looked down at her, and noted that her colour had improved slightly, and she looked able to move now. Slowly, still holding on to her, he stood up.  
  
"Put me down Draco, I'm not an invalid and I want to walk! I'm the doctor around here I'll have you know!" Draco looked sceptical, but put her down all the same. She managed about three steps before her legs trembled and she slumped towards the floor again. He caught her before she hit the floor and made to lift her up again.  
  
"No! I wanna walk!" Hermione sulked like a child.  
  
"Well, you can walk, BUT I'm gonna support you, and I'm not taking no for an answer, it's that or you're being carried." Hermione nodded in agreement and they walked together, with Draco's arm around her waist, gently supporting her.  
  
It took them a long time to reach the top of the stairs walking like that, and when they reached the top, Hermione sank gratefully into one of the large plush chairs by the doorway. Draco strode across the hall and grabbed his wand out of his bag, and walked back across to Hermione. He faced the doorway and began sealing the doorway. It was a long and complex spell, and he felt himself beginning to tire, after the incident in the torture room, maybe his energy levels weren't high enough for a spell like this. Just when he thought that he wasn't going to be able to continue he felt a presence behind him.  
  
Hermione's hand was cool and smooth as she placed it on the back of his neck. Draco was about to yell at her for being out of the chair, when he felt a strange rushing beneath his skin. It was the same feeling that had engulfed him when he was lying on the emergency table at the hospital. He could feel his energy levels rise, and the spell that had been faltering grew strong again. He knew that she was giving him energy that she couldn't afford to lose, and a part of him wanted to kiss her, and a part of him wanted to shake her for being so stupid.  
  
He finished closing the doorway, and turned to Hermione still unsure of how he was going to react. He barely had time to catch her before she fell to the floor, unconscious.  
  
Draco quickly levitated her lifeless body and rushed her upstairs; he raced along the corridors, and lowered her onto the bed in his room. Summoning a house elf, he instructed the creature to bring him several healing potions and energy boosting medicines. The elf seemed to take forever to return as he sat by Hermione's side, watching her chest rise and fall with shallow breaths.  
  
When the elf finally returned, Draco administered the potions and watched as some colour finally returned to her cheeks, and she appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Exhausted by the trials of his first day outside the hospital Draco crawled into bed beside her, and fell asleep with the speed of a tired child, snuggled up to the warm body beside him. The house elf, who had been unobtrusively watching his changed master tend to the girl with such care pulled up the covers and went to spread the news about Draco and the new lady master who was already called Angel.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
When Draco awoke a few hours later, it was already dark outside, and he was alone in his bed. He stretched out as far as he could reach, and then rolled off the bed to go in search of Hermione. He padded into the bathroom adjoining his room and found Hermione brushing her teeth with a toothbrush that looked suspiciously like his.  
  
"Is that my toothbrush?" Draco asked  
  
"Yep." Hermione replied, unconcerned by the horrified look on his face.  
  
"But. but. but that's MINE!! Eeeew, that's so gross, you can't use my toothbrush. Oh that's just great. I'll have to get a new one now." Draco sulked.  
  
"What? Why do you need a new one? I don't have any diseases you know, and may I remind you that this afternoon you had your."  
  
"That's totally different!" Draco interrupted, still sulking. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, and ignoring the evil look he gave her continued to brush her teeth. She swept past him out of the bathroom and laughed to herself as he picked up the toothbrush she had used and threw it into the bin. While Draco transfigured a new toothbrush, Hermione got changed into the dress that the house elves had made her while she was sleeping.  
  
When she had woken up, a clutch of female elves were standing at the end of the bed, giggling and whispering amongst themselves. When she had sat up, they had rushed forwards, and still whispering presented her with a gorgeous white silk dress. They had said something about 'clothes fit for an angel' and scampered off again. The dress was gorgeous, fitting her like a second skin until her waist and then dropping into a long straight skirt that flowed around her ankles like a river. It was pure white, but had a slight shimmer to it that really did make her look like an angel. Hermione had decided to leave her hair down, since she had managed to make it straight, and go barefoot.  
  
As she quickly got into the dress, Hermione wondered what Draco would make of it. It was a bit posh for dinner, but the elves had instructed her to wear it that night, and she didn't want to hurt their feelings. Hermione had walked to the balcony, and was hidden from view as she stood quietly. Draco had walked back into the room, and couldn't see her from where he stood.  
  
"Hermione?" He called quietly  
  
"I'm out here." She called back, and turned to look at him as he stepped out to join her on the balcony. Draco's breath caught in his throat, and he was having trouble moving as he caught sight of Hermione for the first time. She looked amazing, standing there in a dress that he thought should have been illegal.  
  
Her hair was shining in the bright starlight, and it cascaded over her shoulders in a silky torrent. Her skin looked almost translucent it was so pale, and she glowed with an ethereal light. Her dress was so white it hurt his eyes, and every now and then threads caught the light, and shimmered like stars caught in the fabric. A slight halo formed around her head caused by the light coming from the glass ballroom ceiling below, and she truly looked like an angel.  
  
"What time is dinner?" She asked, breaking Draco's awed silence. He cleared his throat and in a slightly husky voice, replied  
  
"Nine. It's half seven now, and I was wondering, do you want to walk around the grounds for a while? If you feel up to it I mean." Hermione smiled, and Draco's heart felt like it was about to explode, and he mentally willed her not to do it again.  
  
"That would be nice." Just as she spoke these words, a snowy white owl flew down to rest on the balcony by Hermione's arm.  
  
"Hedwig!" she said, happy to hear from Harry. She extended her hand towards Hedwig's outstretched leg, and removed the letter that was tied there. She unrolled it, and began to read the letter.  
  
Hermione,  
  
How are you? Everything is fine here, although we're all a bit confused as to what happened in the Forest. It seems that Voldemort is dead, betrayed by one of his own, but I have no idea who. I'm guessing that Malfoy has something to do with this, and I was just writing to ask if he'd got any of his memory back yet? Also, just a warning, be careful Hermione, don't get too involved. We still don't know what happened that night, and I don't think you should place more trust in him than you absolutely have to. Please write back soon, we need all the help we can get  
  
Love forever  
  
Harry  
  
Draco still stood there, watching Hermione's face as it flashed through several emotions as she read the letter. The last was confusion and anguish, and remained on her face as she muttered a spell, and the letter burst into flame and disintegrated. She bent, and whispered something to Hedwig, who promptly flew off in the direction she had come from. She then straightened and looked at Draco. Ignoring the questioning look in his face, she smiled again and walked back into the room.  
  
"Are you coming or what?" Despite the smile on her face, Draco couldn't help but notice that she didn't look as happy as she had done before. He would have given anything to read that letter, but it was too late now. He walked to join her, and offered his arm to Hermione, she took it and together they walked down to the gardens.  
  
The Malfoy gardens were famous throughout the Wizarding World, and there were rumours that unicorns visited on especially beautiful nights. Tonight was one of those nights where everything seems to be so perfect that you don't even want to breathe for fear of ruining it. The stars were so bright that they lit up the gardens like mini floodlights, and seemed close enough to touch. Everything was touched with a light so pure that even the grass glittered like diamonds. The two people stood there for nearly ten minutes entranced by the beauty of the perfect night. The gardens were full of lush, large lawns, and amazing plants and flowers of all colours. There were greenhouses full of exotic flowers, mazes of high hedges, and at the very edge of the grounds, a large lake bordered on the far edge by a thick forest.  
  
Together Draco and Hermione made their way to the lake, and a boat appeared. By some unspoken agreement, the two of them stepped onto the boat and it floated out into the middle of the lake. Hermione stared into the depths of the cold blue water, and when she turned back to look at Draco, he had charmed his clothes into a tuxedo with a plain white shirt and a black bow tie. Together they looked like a modern day Romeo and Juliet, that or an angel and a devil. Looking back towards the house that was lit up like a Christmas tree in the distance, Hermione sighed.  
  
"There are no words to describe this moment. This is one of those times that you know you will remember for the rest of your life, even when sitting in your nursing home when you can barely remember your own name."  
  
Draco said nothing, just sat there staring at Hermione, as she stared at his house. The glow was back, and Draco knew that if he didn't touch her then he was going to die. Very slowly, so as not to attract her attention, he reached out one hand and brushed the skin of her cheek as lightly as a feather. She turned back to face him, and gave one of those heart breaking smiles. He leaned forwards and brushed his lips against hers and pulled away, just an inch to whisper softly.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"For what?" Hermione asked, moving closer so that when she whispered back, her lips fluttered against his.  
  
"For everything. For saving my life, for coming here with me, for rescuing me, for kissing me, for being alive, for being here now."  
  
Very slowly, the miniscule gap left between them closed, and their lips met in a searing, passionate kiss. All thoughts of the past fled from their minds, and they concentrated on the moment they were in. The boat slowly began to spin around, as if caught in a whirlpool, going faster and faster. As the kiss ended, they were both breathing heavily, smiling at each other. Draco lowered his head, and gently kissed her forehead, trailing kisses down her nose, and across her cheeks. He dropped a swift kiss onto her mouth before continuing on down her neck.  
  
Hermione lifted her head to give him better access to the sensitive spot in the hollow of her throat. A high breathy moan escaped her lips, and she felt Draco smiling against the skin of her neck. His tongue flickered out against the spot where her pulse beat rapidly and Hermione's eyes slid closed. Her arms went around Draco's back, and one hand slid upwards to the back of his neck. Her fingers played with the soft hair that lay against his warm skin.  
  
Draco lifted his head and once again their lips met, but this time the kiss was different. It was more caring, more gentle, with less frantic energy but still full of passion and need. Without even realising it, they had leant against the side of the boat, and were lying flat against the seat, with Draco almost lying on top of Hermione. Noticing this, he sat up when they pulled away, and kissing her one last time gently on the lips.  
  
"We should get back. It's time for dinner and I don't want to hurt the house elves feelings since they spent so much time preparing it." Draco smiled at Hermione's words. 'She's always thinking of other peoples feelings. I wish that I could be that selfless. I can't believe that she's here and she let me.. and that she actually. Life is good.'  
  
Hand in hand they walked back to the house, once the boat had deposited them on the shore of the lake. They entered through the double doors of one of the more luxurious banqueting halls, and saw that there was already food at two of the places on the table. According to tradition, the house elves had place Draco at the head of the table, and Hermione at the foot of the table, meaning that there was at least sixty feet of polished mahogany table between them. Hermione's face fell as she saw the distance between the two places, then stoically walked to her place as Draco walked to his.  
  
The dinner seemed interminable, with seventeen courses followed by coffee. Hermione was so bored by the end of it, she was about to chew off her own arm, just for the entertainment value of it. As the final dishes were cleared away, Draco rose and walked to Hermione's side and bowed deeply.  
  
"May I escort you to the ballroom, Madam?" Draco asked solemnly.  
  
"You may indeed Sir." Replied Hermione, just as seriously although with a flashing light in her eyes that betrayed her.  
  
Arm in arm they walked through to the ballroom, where music was playing softly, arranged no doubt by well meaning house elves. Draco swept Hermione out onto the floor and led her around in a delicate waltz. The music was soothing, and Hermione rested her head on Draco's shoulder and sighed happily. As the song ended, Draco pulled away slightly, and Hermione looked up at him, slightly confused.  
  
"Come with me, there's something I want to show you." Draco said quietly, and led her out of the ballroom, followed by soft strains of music. Once the house elf had mentioned the library, Draco had known that Hermione had to see it. He had carefully steered her clear of it throughout the day, leaving it for a time like this. He conjured up a blindfold and carefully tied it around her eyes, making sure that she couldn't see.  
  
He opened the door, and turned on the lights before turning to the still- blindfolded Hermione. He knew that the room would delight her, and he revelled in the fact that he could do something to make her happy. He carefully reached up and removed the blindfold, and stepped back so that she could see the room. Hermione gasped and stepped forward, one hand slightly raised as if to out over her heart or her open mouth. The room was huge, with high ceilings and a large staircase going up the centre of the room, to give access to the second floor of the books. The second floor was more like a balcony around the inside of the room, giving a perfect view of the glass ceiling high above from the ground floor. (A/N: Think the library from Disney's Beauty and the Beast) There were several ladders positioned around the room, and large comfy looking chairs and sofas, tables and footstools dotted around the room.  
  
All in all, this was Hermione's idea of heaven, and Draco knew it, she whirled around and stared at him.  
  
"How did you know?" she whispered  
  
"Magic." he replied, right before she launched herself into his arms. She hugged him so tight that he thought he was going to break, but he loved the feeling.  
  
"This is so perfect, it's amazing."  
  
"I thought you'd like it! I'm guessing that at least this room of my house gets the Hermione Granger seal of approval, hmm?" He laughed at the look she gave him. "I know, I know, do I even need to ask!" He grinned at her, and she grinned back.  
  
They stayed in the library for a while, chatting and laughing, and Draco marvelled at the pleasure that he gained just from being in her company. The large clock above the fireplace in the library chimed midnight, and Hermione got up from her chair opposite Draco.  
  
"I'm gonna get to bed, it's late and I have to be up early."  
  
"Why?" Draco asked, suddenly worried that she was going to leave in the morning, although she hadn't said anything about leaving.  
  
"I have to go down to the kitchens to thank the elves for the dress and I want to start some kind of medical treatment programme because some of them don't look well at all."  
  
Draco looked up at her with eyes filled with admiration, and pulled her down into his lap. "You always care so much about other people that must be why you're such a fantastic doctor." Hermione blushed, embarrassed by Draco's praise.  
  
"I'm not a fantastic doctor." she denied  
  
"I beg to differ; you always make me feel better." Draco smirked devilishly and bent down to kiss her again. Hermione twisted out of his grip and fled to the door of the library.  
  
"Goodnight Draco."  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
Draco was lying in his bed, with the sheets twisted around his lower body, the waistband of his dark blue boxers just visible. His chest was bare and his hair was tousled, as he lay sprawled across his bed, still wide awake after hours of tossing and turning. He got out, and stood at the edge of his bed, straightening his sheets for what seemed the millionth time that night already. Just as he was about to get back into bed, a creak stopped him in his tracks. The door swung open and Hermione stepped in, wearing flannel pyjama bottoms and a white strappy top.  
  
"I can't sleep." She admitted in a lost little girl voice.  
  
"Do you want to come and sleep here?" Draco asked, keeping his voice soothing, although inside he wanted to drop to his knees and plead.  
  
His heart leapt as she nodded, and slowly walked to the opposite edge of the bed. He crawled onto the bed and lay down under the sheets and waited for her to do the same. He felt the edge of the bed dip as she sat down, then saw her swing her legs up on to the bed. She lay down, facing away from him, and he pulled her closer so she was snuggled against his body. She sighed happily and snuggled her head down onto the pillow.  
  
Draco couldn't decide whether or not to try to go to sleep, or to give in to his heart and kiss her. He didn't want to seem like he was expecting something from her, but his very cells were screaming for him to kiss her. She wriggled backwards so that she was pressed more tightly against him, and that made up his mind. He stretched his neck forward slightly and lightly pressed his lips against the back of her neck. When she didn't move away, Draco began to trail hot little kisses down the back of her neck to the first bumps of her spine, then stopped. Hermione rolled towards him, and lifted her face, expecting to be kissed. Never one to leave a lady disappointed, he obliged.  
  
Gradually their kisses became more and more urgent, and Draco slid his hand under the soft cotton of Hermione's top. His fingers brushed the skin of her stomach, and she sucked it in, in an instinctive reaction. He did it again and she laughed against his mouth.  
  
"Cut it out! That tickles." she added by way of explanation. Draco grinned and moved his fingers higher; until he brushed against the underside of her breast then he withdrew his fingers. Hermione pushed her own hand under her top, and guided his fingers back. Draco pressed his lips harder against hers, and she moaned in response, which only made Draco more insistent. Very gently Draco's fingers continued exploring underneath her top, Hermione becoming more and more impatient as time went on. She rolled on top of Draco, feeling him hard and hot underneath her, and pulled off her top. Draco's eyes grew wide as he stared at her.  
  
"I've never seen anybody as beautiful as you." He whispered to her. Hermione felt a little glow of pleasure run through her at his words, she lay down on top of him, loving the feel of his chest against her. Draco, deciding that it was his turn to be on top, rolled her over, catching her gasp of surprise with his mouth as he initiated yet another intense kiss. When he broke away, he trailed kisses down her throat and torturously slowly down her chest and paused to gently blow her right nipple. Hermione moaned and threaded her fingers through his hair, urging his head down. Obeying her unspoken command, he lowered his head to close his hot mouth around her raspberry nipple. 'God she tastes so good' he thought.  
  
Growling, Hermione flipped the pair over again, and mimicking his action trailed her tongue down Draco's throat. He moaned, just as she had, throatily, and ran his hands through her hair; she smiled at this, loving the fact that she could make him as hot as he made her. She licked in a circle around his nipple and blew on the wet trail, making Draco shiver. Climbing off Draco, she knelt by the side of him, and grasped the waistband of his boxers and pulled. He lifted his hips to make her task easier, then settled back down as she pulled them down his thighs and finally tugged them off altogether. She threw them into the corner of the room, and lay down alongside him again.  
  
Draco slid his fingers into the waistband of her pyjamas, and looked her in the eyes, waiting for consent before continuing. She nodded slightly and he pulled down the trousers, leaving her completely naked. They embraced tightly, each loving the feel of skin on skin, the warmth, the softness. They kissed and caressed, learning places that would make the other gasp and moan. Draco could feel himself start to lose control as Hermione wrapped her small soft hand around him and begin to work her way up and down.  
  
He placed his hand over her own, and gently pulled it away, then slowly rolled on top of her, carefully positioning himself. He slid his hand between their two bodies, and gently slid a finger inside her. She was hot and wet, and she seemed so small, so tight that he couldn't see how he was going to fit. His eyes met hers, and once again she nodded, but before he slid into her, he needed one more confirmation.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this? Even if this isn't your first time, it's probably gonna hurt cos." He trailed off, trying to find a way to put it.  
  
"You're big. I know. I could feel it, even before. I want this. I want you."  
  
Draco didn't need anything more than that, and very gently he began to slide into her. He went slowly, so as not to hurt her more than he had to, but the slow pace was almost killing him, and despite himself, he pushed in hard for the last few inches. She gasped, and he could see the pain in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He muttered, kissing her very gently, using all his willpower to keep from moving until he knew that she was ready. She shifted underneath him, and slowly he started to move and the two began to merge into one soul. Hermione moaned, and Draco increased the speed of his thrusts, her hips moving to match his every move. He already knew that this was the best it had ever been with anybody, and he didn't need any memories to tell him that. Draco could feel Hermione getting close to the edge, and he knew that he was too, he sped up, and Hermione lifted her hips more and he was in deeper than ever. It only took a few more minutes for the two of them to reach their climax together, each calling out the other's name.  
  
Hermione's whole world exploded into shards of coloured light, and she felt peaceful, lapped by waves of golden warmth. She knew then that she loved him, and that nobody else would do. Draco Malfoy was hers and they were meant to be.  
  
He knew at that very instant that he loved her more than anything else in this world, and he would die rather than have her shed one single tear. He collapsed on top of her, too exhausted by sweet pleasure to move, and he didn't want to. He wanted so much to tell her how he felt, but was so scared of the consequences, that he didn't dare. As he lay on top of her, nothing else mattered, only the feel of her skin against his, the silky smoothness of it. He wanted to marry her, have her bear his children, and grow old with him. The knowledge that that could never be ate at his heart like acid. He rolled off her, and pulled her relaxed body against him, her back, against his chest. Luckily for him, she was braver than he was.  
  
"I love you." she said, so quietly that he barely heard her. But he did hear her.  
  
"I don't deserve you." he replied. 'Shit Malfoy. Wrong answer.' he thought as she got out of the bed and walked out of the room. The pain of her walking away hit him like a brick wall. 'Well that was just fantastic wasn't it? That's great. Do you have to fuck up everything in your life?' He raged at himself. 'The woman you love just told you she loves you and you don't say it back?! You idiot.'  
  
Draco could have punched himself. He leapt out of bed and raced after her, he ran into her room, and saw her packing her bag in the corner of the room, tears running down her face. Draco saw those tears and felt lower than the lowest bacteria, 'And to think that I wanted to die rather than see her cry, and now I've caused it.'  
  
"Don't leave." he said quietly  
  
"Why? I need to leave. Please just let me go. I should never have come here."  
  
"Don't leave."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I love you." She stopped packing and slowly straightened. She looked him dead in the eye.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I love you." She flew across the room, and launched herself into his arms. He held her so close that she was almost a part of him, and breathed in the scent of her that had lingered so enticingly on his skin. 'Don't mess this up again Draco, how many more times is she going to forgive you?' He thought as he closed his eyes.  
  
"I love you." He repeated  
  
"I love you." She said back, and at that moment his life was so perfect that he could have exploded from the sheer happiness of it.  
  
A sharp pain flashed through his head, and he slammed a hand to his forehead, letting out a scream of pain. He dropped to his knees, and then merciful, blessed unconsciousness flooded across his brain. 


	9. Chapter 9: The Past Rears Its Ugly Head

A.N: Aaaargh.. so sorry about the wait on this chapter, but you all know what it's like.. coursework and exams and yuck! anyway, i hope you like this and you think its worth the wait! please review and let me know what you think! i wanna get to at least 100 reviews with this chapter please! thank you for reading my story p.s. thank you loads to all those who reviewed before and MUCH BIG THANKS TO MY BETA SPAZY SANGE xxxxx  
  
Disclaimer: As ever, I don't own anything but the ambi-broom and any characters not from the book.  
  
Chapter 9: The Past Rears Its Ugly Head  
  
Hermione took two steps backwards and screamed with all her might for the house elves to come to her. She heard several little pops as they gathered in a circle around her.  
  
"I want you to immediately contact St Mungos. NOW!" They all popped away as quickly as they could, and Hermione knelt on the ground. She pulled Draco's head onto her lap, and tried to calm his rapidly twitching muscles. She once again placed her hand on the back of his neck and willed her strength to flow into him, hoping against hope that he would feel it, wherever he was.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
Draco was no longer lying on the floor of a room in Malfoy Manor; he was reliving his life, his old life. Memories rushed around him, like the bitterest wind of winter, filling him with ice and hate. The prejudices soaked into the smallest corners of his brain, relegating the warmer emotions to some secret place deep inside him, where he could bring them out once in a while, look at them, and put them back.  
  
Memories of his early training in dark magic rushed back to him, along with memories of pain as he pushed himself harder than he was able to go. Always searching for approval, always looking for some small sign that he was loved, and learning that these signs never came. Crushing pain when he remembered his mother, and surging black hatred when he remembered his father, and cold terror when he remembered the night in the clearing.  
  
Draco remembered.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
When Draco finally stopped jerking and screaming, Hermione frantically felt for his pulse. Releasing her pent up tension in a long sigh, when she found it, Hermione eased herself out from under his head, and went to find a blanket. Walking into the closet she found a large cream cashmere blanket and picking it up, along with a goose feather pillow, she walked back into the main room. Draco was still lying on the floor, and gently she eased the pillow under his head, and wrapped him up in the blanket.  
  
Hearing the wail of the Ambi-Broom, she opened the window, and hung out of it, waving at the rider to attract his attention. As the broom whooshed through the window, the rider leapt off the broom, and pulled off his helmet. It wasn't a rider that Hermione knew very well, he was quite new, and she had to rack her brain for a few moments before she could remember his name.  
  
"Dirk, this is Draco Malfoy, he was in Mungo's a few days ago, and he may be having a relapse, we need to get him there, stat!"  
  
"Yes, Dr Granger, whatever you say. Will you be riding along with us?"  
  
"I think so, just in case, you know."  
  
Dirk nodded, and magicked out the stretcher from the side of the broom, gently levitating Draco's lifeless body on to it. Hermione jumped on the broom, and Dirk settled himself ahead of her. They ascended into the air slowly, and manoeuvred out of the window. After they were safely away from the building, Dirk called back to Hermione,  
  
"We're going now, hold on tight."  
  
Hermione was prepared for the sensation of the Ambi-Broom, but the sudden acceleration still took her breath away. Allowed only for the purpose of transporting ill patients, the Ambi-Broom could travel faster than the Muggle plane Concorde, with just a small spell to allow the occupants to breathe comfortably making it safe. It was banned from Quidditch as the players couldn't control it in such a small distance, the pitch would need to be the size of London for it to be feasible.  
  
The rush of air through Hermione's hair and across her face was refreshing, and Hermione's face was blown full of colour by the almost freezing wind. Hermione's mind was rushing through the possibilities. what could have happened to him? 'Who are you kidding, honey? You know exactly what's happened to him. You knew it was coming, and soon, but still, you allowed yourself to become attached. Fool.'  
  
Hermione willed her mind to become silent; she calmed the inner turmoil and concentrated on where the ambi-broom was flying. They were nearing St Mungo's, she realized dully, the moment when Draco would slip out of her control was nearing, and she found herself dreading it. Draco's hair fluttered in the strong breeze that surrounded them as they slowed on the approach to St Mungo's. Hermione stretched out her hand and stroked his hair, allowing the silky strands to run between her fingers.  
  
"I love you, Draco Malfoy. Always remember that, even when you hate me."  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
Slowly the ambi-broom pulled into the emergency bay at St Mungo's hospital. Lyden was waiting at the entrance to the hospital.  
  
"Hermione? I thought you were on holiday. What's going on?" The confused look on his face would have made Hermione laugh, but she was far too worried about Draco to laugh.  
  
"I was helping him settle in at his house, because he had amnesia and I felt it would be best for him to have some help while he settled in, and he had a relapse."  
  
"Oh no! Lucky you were able to hear him at this time of night, eh?" Lyden gave her a questioning look, and Hermione gave him an icy one in return, knowing what he was thinking. She couldn't allow anybody to think that, even if it was the truth.  
  
The nurses and doctors on standby at the emergency bay rushed into action and Draco was sped out of Hermione's sight. Hermione turned and slowly walked towards the hospital, expecting a long wait for news on his condition, but a voice called her back.  
  
"Come on Hermione, you are his doctor after all. We need you; nobody else understands his condition like you."  
  
Hermione turned and stared at Lyden. He stared back, and in a rush of realization, Hermione knew that he knew.  
  
"I always knew you were too clever for your own good Lyden." Hermione grinned, and Lyden grinned back. Suddenly overwhelmed by her love for him, she span and hurled herself into his arms. He hugged her back and breathed in the fresh scent of her hair. His face was contorted by some strong emotion, and if Hermione had seen it, she might have better understood why Lyden had helped her.  
  
"Thank you." whispered Hermione  
  
"For you, anything." Lyden whispered back, and he released her, and quickly turned and walked away.  
  
Hermione stood frozen for a moment, and then turned and walked quickly into the hospital. She scurried through and into Draco's booth where he lay quiet, surrounded by doctors. One of them turned to her,  
  
"As far as we can tell Dr. Granger, he's simply unconscious with no apparent magical or medical cause. Although we can tell that he had some sort of mental episode prior to his being ambi-broom-ed here. We think he might have. well to put it bluntly, remembered."  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
Hermione sat in the chair by Draco's bedside, motionless, keeping as near to the window as possible. She didn't want to be near Draco when he woke up, in case he was back to being Malfoy, rather than the Draco that she loved. She wasn't the only person in the room however. Sitting in the chair across from her was Harry Potter, and outside the room were twelve Aurors. Having heard the news that Draco Malfoy had 'remembered' they were there to find out the truth about Voldemort's death.  
  
"Hermione."  
  
"Don't Harry, just don't." Hermione interrupted, and seeing the pain written clearly across his best friends face, Harry left it.  
  
Draco stirred in the bed that was just feet from them, but could have been worlds away for all that they could reach him. He was somewhere else, drifting in a world full of pain and anguish. Draco Malfoy was struggling with himself. He knew that the past few days with Hermione had been the best days of his pain-filled life, but his old self was rebelling against the idea of a Malfoy even spending time with a mudblood, let alone falling in love with one. The internal war that he waged was the most important battle of his short young life, and the one that would determine the future path that he took. and the final showdown was commencing.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
(A.N tee hee, should i finish it there.. i would but i haven't updated in so long that i think maybe i should keep going. by the way. how crap is this so far.. yuck)  
  
Draco's eyelids fluttered and slowly. oh so slowly his eyes drifted open. The two people who had sat so silently and still, up until that moment, suddenly burst into a flurry of energy and movement. Harry called for the Aurors outside the door to come in, and all of them stood, tense at the bottom of Draco's bed, with their wands at the ready. Hermione, who was bending over Draco's bed, glared at them, and Harry gave them the signal to lower their wands, although none of them put their wands back in their pockets.  
  
Hermione had flicked back to doctor mode in the blink of an eye, leaning over Draco.  
  
"Right, can you tell me where you are?"  
  
"Yes, I am in St Mungo's."  
  
"Good, can you tell me your name?"  
  
"Yes, I am Draco Malfoy. although you should know that Granger."  
  
'Oh fuck, he called me Granger. he doesn't remember. or he does remember.oh fuuuuuuuck' Hermione's thoughts were gabbling as she continued to check Draco over for any signs of damage.  
  
"Can you please follow my finger with your eyes."  
  
"This is ridiculous Granger, I can see perfectly well thank you very much. Besides Potter is obviously dying to ask me about the Dark Lord, he's about to pee his pants, so if you would get out of the way, I can let him out of his misery."  
  
Hermione straightened up from the bed, and walked over to the window.  
  
"As you wish, Mr. Malfoy. However I insist on monitoring you during the interview, and at the slightest hint of trouble, I WILL terminate it. I am still your doctor, and you must follow my orders."  
  
Draco acquiesced with a nod of his head, and Harry motioned for a self- writing quill, and a roll of parchment to be brought in so he could take down Malfoy's interview. His head was turned away, so he didn't see the silent tear that slid down Hermione's cheek before she brushed it away, and turned back to face the room. "Interview with Mr. Draco Malfoy, September 16th, 11:45 am. Persons present." Harry continued to list the names of the people in the room, and then checked that the quill had gotten everything. Once satisfied that everything was in order, Harry resumed his seat by Draco's bedside.  
  
"Right, Malfoy. Were you present the evening that there was the gathering of Death Eaters in the enchanted forest?"  
  
"Yes." Harry glared at Draco, who was obviously enjoying this,  
  
"Can you please state what was happening at this event, in your own words?"  
  
"Well, it was the day that the Dark Lord and I were to be mind-linked. I was stood apart from them while they prepared the beginnings of the potion, each of his followers gave a hair, linking their strength to the Dark Lord's so that he would be able to perform the ritual. I stepped up to an altar that was prepared and added my blood to the potion. As the Dark Lord added his, he informed me that the potion was actually one that would enable him to take over my body, and that I as a person would die, leaving my body for him."  
  
As Draco told the story of how he had escaped the Dark Lord, Hermione found herself admiring the strength of mind, and the quick wittedness of Draco, even when he was the evil one. Draco's eyes clouded as he spoke of his fathers betrayal, but Hermione was the only one who noticed, and her heart went out to him.  
  
'You shouldn't be thinking like this Hermione,' she thought to herself, 'he's not your Draco any more, he's Malfoy again, and you need to distance yourself.'  
  
The sunny morning turned to a dull grey afternoon as Harry's questioning went on and on. Eventually, at about half five, Harry stood up, and stretched, cracking all the bones in his spine as he did so.  
  
"Interview concluded at 5:27 p.m. Down quill." Harry turned to Draco and gave him a long, appraising look. "Well done Malfoy. It's safe to say that nobody will ever know of your involvement, but you've made a lot of people very happy. Even if it was only to save your own skin."  
  
Harry opened his mouth as if to say something else, but then thought the better of it, and turned to Hermione. He crossed the room and hugged her.  
  
"Maybe it's for the best Hermione." He whispered into her ear, and squeezed her tight. Hermione nodded and promised to call him later.  
  
After everybody had left the room, Hermione turned to Draco.  
  
"Right, I'll just do a final check, and then I'll get out of your hair so you can rest."  
  
Hermione went through a few simple checks and then turned to get her coat. She picked it up and put an arm through one sleeve, she was searching for the other sleeve when she felt someone behind her. The person lifted up her coat, and helped her into it.  
  
"You should be in bed Malfoy." The comforting presence behind her left, and Hermione heard the bed creak as he got into it.  
  
"Yes doctor." He sounded almost meek. "Mudblood." The familiar word echoed in the small room, and Hermione felt it as much as she would a knife stabbing straight into her heart. Silently tears slid down her face and dropped onto the chair, and stayed in little puddles on the fabric, thanks to the water repelling charm on it. Hermione looked at the little lakes of her making and waited until she had regained her composure before turning.  
  
"After so many years, you'd have thought that you could think up a new insult Malfoy." She said quietly and left the room.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
Draco Malfoy lay quietly in his bed, thinking. He had seen the unshed tears glistening darkly in her eyes, he had known how much pain she was in. After the experience of hiding pain that he had, then you could identify when people were in pain, no matter how well they hid it. He had to hand it to Herm. Granger, she hid her pain well. He couldn't understand where she had got the practice though.  
  
He couldn't understand a lot of things at the moment, like his compulsion to call her Hermione, and the little stab that he had felt when he saw her tears. Somehow, that little stab had hurt more than all of his father's curses and tortures that he had endured through the years. Draco looked over to the chair where Herm. Granger had been sitting. His gaze caught upon something glittery on the seat of the chair. It looked like diamonds or something. Intrigued, he got up out of bed and crossed over to the chair; they weren't diamonds. Draco stretched out his long, slim fingers and slowly touched one of the tears that lay in little droplets on the surface of the chair. As his fingers touched the liquid, a voice exploded in his brain.  
  
'I would rather die than have her shed one tear. I love you. I love you. I love you.'  
  
It was his voice, but he didn't understand why it was saying that. He felt a raw tearing pain in his chest that made him lose his breath, and as he knelt gasping on the floor, voices echoed again, his and Hermione's.  
  
'Catch me if I fall?... Always.'  
  
The pain was growing, and he couldn't stop it; he vaguely wondered if he was having a heart attack, before dismissing this idea. He had never heard of heart attacks giving you a pleasurable warm feeling in the centre of your chest. this was something different, something strange.  
  
'Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before. maybe you didn't know the right people.'  
  
There she was again, Hermione's voice echoing with his in the deepest recesses of his brain.  
  
'Thank you. for what. for everything, for saving my life, for coming here with me, for kissing me, for being alive, for being here now.'  
  
The pain exploded in his chest; and then all of it was gone. No more pain, but the wonderful warmth that had accompanied it was gone as well, and Draco wanted it back. He felt empty, hollow, and he didn't know why. When had he and Hermione had those conversations? They triggered feelings that he had forgotten he had. They were from a different time, one filled with laughter and his mother. his mother. Draco felt the ache again, but this time without the warmth.  
  
What was happening to him? It was like the emotional control that he'd worked so hard for since he was ten years old had just decided to leave.  
  
Vaguely in the back of his mind, Draco could hear his mothers voice trying to tell him something. He remembered that they'd been in the garden one day, just before his eleventh birthday, when his father was really starting to get a hold on him. It was one of the last times he'd really been able to talk to his mother. They'd been sitting in a swing seat that she'd transfigured out of a vine deep in the forest beyond the lake in his estate.  
  
"If you only remember one thing from our conversations Draco, please remember this." She had seemed so serious that he had sworn with as much fervour as an eleven year old boy could manage.  
  
"Not everything that your father tells you is right."  
  
For all that he had sworn, Draco had forgotten that moment in the woods, but now it came back to him in a blinding flash of realization. His mother had been trying to warn him. He could clearly picture her face at that moment. The dappled sunshine that filtered through the trees struck her in a pattern over her platinum blonde hair, and across her high aristocratic cheekbones. She looked beautiful, even with his father's latest bruise still fresh around her eye, and her lip swollen and red.  
  
Draco's fists clenched and suddenly he hated his father; he hated him more than he had thought it was possible to hate anybody. His father had destroyed not only his own life, but Draco's as well. He had corrupted his son's mind, and he had killed his own wife. Draco could have saved her, but Lucius had corrupted his mind to such an extent that he had ignored what was going on because Lucius had told him to.  
  
Without even realizing it, Draco began to shed the tears that he had not been allowed to cry since he was a small boy. The tears rolled down his cheeks and dripped off his chin to mingle on the chair with those that Hermione had shed a short time before. Draco understood that it was not weak to cry, as his father had said, but rather that it made you strong. Strong, because you could admit that you had emotions, rather than pretend that you didn't have any.  
  
Draco Malfoy was finally free of his father.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
Hermione fled the hospital without even knowing where she was headed; just knowing that she had to get out of there. She still had nearly two weeks of vacation time left, and she could go anywhere; except the only place that she wanted to be. Her mind was in a whirl, and she wasn't thinking straight. especially when she walked out into the road straight in front of an oncoming lorry.  
  
A horn blasted through the air, and Hermione's last thought before she was catapulted into the air by the impact was. 'Draco, help me.'  
  
If you liked it please review  
  
If you didn't like it please review  
  
If you don't care either way please review  
  
Okay, if you read it please review... come on I asked nicely ( 


	10. Chapter 10: Slow Awakenings

Well, it's the penultimate chapter, just one more to go. Thanks to all my reviewers; you mean the difference between a chapter or no chapter  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own anything from or affiliated with Harry Potter.  
  
Thank you to my beta Spazy Sange for all her amazingly hard work on my behalf.  
  
Chapter 10: Slow Awakenings  
  
Draco slowly opened his eyes, and was instantly awake and alert, it was a habit built up over many years of being in perpetual danger. At this particular moment however, he was in absolutely no danger at all, something of a novelty for him.  
  
The day had dawned clear and beautiful, giving no evidence of the life altering and dramatic events that had occurred the night before. The sunlight was shining, golden and bright through the window. The curtains had been pulled back by the nurse only a few minutes before, and the light was hitting Draco's pillow in fat beams. The cause of his current state of wakefulness didn't annoy Draco, as once it might have done, but simply made him smile.  
  
'Nothing bad could happen on a day like this.' Draco thought to himself contentedly. He resolved to stay in his bed until after breakfast, and then go in search of Hermione. He figured that if she wasn't around he could charm one of the receptionists into giving away her location.  
  
The nurse bustled in at that point, disturbing Draco's recollections of a certain spunky young doctor. He smiled up at the nurse without the slightest hint of irritation and asked cheerfully.  
  
"What's for breakfast?"  
  
The nurse blushed slightly at being the focus of Draco's bone-melting grin before pulling herself together.  
  
"We have bacon and eggs, or sausages, or toast. You can also choose from orange, apple or pumpkin juice, tea or coffee."  
  
"Hmmm..." Draco appeared to be contemplating breakfast as seriously as some people ponder how to attain world peace. "I do believe that I will go with the bacon and eggs this morning, and some orange juice if that'll be alright please, Suki."  
  
The nurse quickly placed a tray across his blanket covered lap and placed a plate of bacon and eggs, a glass of orange juice, cutlery, and a napkin on it. She was trying desperately not to show how pleased she felt that he had remembered her name.  
  
"If that'll be all, Mr. Malfoy, I'll be getting on with the others."  
  
Draco nodded to show that he was finished with her, and reluctantly she left the room. Draco tucked into his breakfast with relish. The food in hospital was always excellent, almost as good as at his own home, or Hogwarts. Within a matter of minutes he was finished, and downing the last of his orange juice, stood up as the tray vanished, with all his dirty breakfast stuff on it.  
  
He rapidly dressed in some comfortable but presentable trousers and a deep blue shirt, with the collar unbuttoned. Feeling that he looked acceptable, and checking his smile in the mirror, Draco felt adequately prepared to go in search of Hermione. Hurriedly walking down the corridor to avoid the Head Nurse, Draco made it to the elevator. As the numbers clicked down from 12 through to 4 Draco remained alone, however on the fourth floor he was joined by a young looking doctor, and a man wearing the uniform of an Ambi- Broom driver.  
  
"Jesus, Lyden, what happened to her?" the doctor asked, Draco leaned closer, unable to repress his curiosity.  
  
"She got hit by a lorry; you know one of those Muggle things...?"  
  
"Yeah I know, Dr. Harrison said its 50-50 as to whether she makes it. I really hope she pulls through. It wouldn't be the same without her." The Ambi-Driver nodded agreement, looking devastated.  
  
"Hermione's the heart and soul of this place, not another doctor like her anywhere."  
  
Draco's heart lurched and then sank to his feet; suddenly finding it hard to breathe, he clutched at the sides of the elevator. This attracted the attention of the two men, who had so far ignored their fellow passenger, wrapped up in sorrows of their own. The doctor whirled around and pushed Draco to his knees.  
  
"Breathe slowly and deeply, in for seven, hold for seven, out for seven. With me, 1...2...3...4...5...6...7"  
  
As the doctor was doing this, the Ambi-Driver pressed the button of the next floor they were due to pass, so the doors slid open. Draco's breathing calmed and he was able to stand up and throw off the doctor's hand.  
  
"What did you say about Hermione? Do you mean Hermione Granger? Where is she? I need to see her!"  
  
Lyden looked curiously at the distraught man in front of him, realization dawning upon him.  
  
"Shit, you're Draco Malfoy aren't you? You wouldn't know..." The man trailed off into silence, and Draco fought the very great urge to drag him to the floor and punch him repeatedly until he got the information he wanted.  
  
"Listen, I don't know how to tell you this, but Hermione was in an accident last night, and well... it was bad."  
  
"I want you to take me to her, I have to see her."  
  
The doctor looked doubtingly at Lyden, but Lyden just nodded and motioned to the doctor 'Tell you later'.  
  
"She's in intensive on the fourth floor. We'll go now, and I'll explain to you on the way."  
  
Draco nodded assent and together the two men went back into the elevator that they had so recently vacated in dramatic circumstances. Lyden pushed the button for the fourth floor and turned to Draco.  
  
"Look, I know what happened between you and Hermione at your house. I know that she would have wanted you to see her, which is the only reason I'm allowing you to, do you understand? Hermione is very special to me, and I would never let anybody hurt her."  
  
Draco picked up on the unsaid message in Lyden's words and nodded.  
  
"I need you to be prepared, okay? She had a lot of internal injuries, and they were very severe. If she'd gone to a Muggle hospital she would not be alive right now. We can't heal some of the more minor injuries, such as broken bones and grazes because of the potent medicine fixing her on the inside. It's very indefinite things we're talking about, I mean there's only so much a body can take, and she's pushing it."  
  
Draco felt physically sick at these words, after all the deaths in his life, you'd have thought he would be immune to it, but apparently he wasn't.  
  
"She's unconscious and is likely to remain so for an unspecified length of time. She received severe head trauma, and..."  
  
"For the God's sake, just spit it out." Draco spat bitterly, seeing the man hesitate. Lyden's face turned cold and he replied.  
  
"She may never wake up."  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
It was several hours later when Draco was finally able to stop and think about the situation that he was now faced with. After tracking down every doctor in the hospital, and some beyond, to see if there was anything else that he could do, he had returned to Hermione's room. He was now sitting in the plush chair by her bed, watching her chest rise and fall, slowly and rhythmically. Every doctor that he had seen only confirmed what he was trying not to think about: there was nothing more that anyone could do. After years of being able to buy whatever he wanted and needed, Draco was finding out in the worst way that money can't buy you everything.  
  
All that anybody could say to him was that anything familiar might help, talking to her, playing her music..... As far as Hermione went, Draco was prepared to do anything to help her, after all Malfoys always paid their debts, and that was the least he owed her.  
  
After consulting with Lyden, Draco discovered that Harry and Ron were both in the dark about what had happened to her. Steeling himself for something that was both distasteful and completely against his character, Draco turned to the fire. Throwing in a handful of powder, and muttering a few words, he saw Harry's face appear in the flames.  
  
"Malfoy? What do you want? Is it something about your testimony pertaining to the demise of Voldemort?"  
  
"Drop the big words Harry; I know that you're an idiot." Seeing Harry start to fume, and knowing that an argument was about to break out, Draco continued quickly.  
  
"As much fun as this is Potter, I didn't want to talk to you for the purpose of insulting you. It's about Hermione...... something's happened to her."  
  
"What have you done, Malfoy? I swear, if you've hurt her, Azkaban or no, I WILL kill you!"  
  
"Breathe Potter, I haven't hurt her," Draco internally flinched at that, knowing that it wasn't entirely true. "She was hit by a lorry while going home last night, and she's in critical condition here... They don't know if she's gonna make it, and they said that anything familiar might help her break out of this..."  
  
Draco stopped talking as he suddenly noticed Potter's face, he had gone very pale, and was visibly shaking. He suddenly regretted the brusque way that he had delivered the awful news. Potter looked remarkably close to tears, and Draco found himself wishing that he could be as free with his emotions as Potter.  
  
"Does Ron know?" Harry's face fell further as Draco shook his head, "Oh Gods, this is gonna kill him, he's always loved Hermione. I mean, we both love her, but Ron... well he,"  
  
"I know what you mean Potter," Draco interrupted, not wanting to hear about the Weasel's crush on Hermione. "Do you want me to tell him?"  
  
Both Harry and Draco looked shocked at this offer, Harry because it seemed so... nice and un-Malfoy like, and Draco because he had just willingly offered to talk to the Weasel.  
  
"Ummm, no thanks Malfoy, he's not going to take this well as it is, and to hear it from you would make it worse. Thanks for offering though. Are you at the hospital with her?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm going to keep her company for a while, I think. I mean I owe her that much at least."  
  
Harry nodded, "What room is she in? Ron and I will be there in about an hour probably, I don't know if it would be such a good idea for Ron to see you there if you know what I mean."  
  
Draco nodded, "She's in the intensive ward on the fourth floor, in the third room on the left. I'll get the nurse to page me when you enter the ward and leave out the back door."  
  
"Yeah, okay then Malfoy." Harry turned slightly, as if to leave, but then turned back. "Malfoy...?"  
  
"Yes, Potter?"  
  
"Thanks. I really mean that, thanks."  
  
Draco nodded, and then cut off the connection. This had been a very surreal conversation, he concluded. Potter had been friendly towards him, and he had reciprocated that gesture. But, he thought, the weirdest thing about it was that parting comment. Because, just for a fleeting moment, Draco had known what it would have been like to be a part of that hallowed group, the Golden Trio, and he had liked that feeling.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
Draco was sat quietly in Hermione's room, neither saying nor doing anything when the tip of his wand glowed red, and emitted golden sparks. Recognizing the spell, Draco wearily lifted himself out of the comfy chair and made for the elevator at the end of the corridor. Seeing Harry at the opposite end, Draco nodded in acknowledgement, and spun around as the Weasel made his ungainly appearance into the corridor.  
  
As Draco waited for the elevator, he heard the pair's footsteps echoing down the quiet, still corridor. It was easy to tell when they reached Hermione's room, as the footsteps ceased abruptly, and a gasp could be heard. Draco knew that the image that they were presented with was not an encouraging one. She was as pale as death and stiller than a pond on a breezeless day. Her arms were covered with grazes and bruises, and her face was marred with a long cut along her jaw line that had been stitched in the muggle fashion as no magic was allowed. She had a large graze down the left side of her face, and a bruised eye; all in all, she looked almost as bad as Draco felt.  
  
He hated this feeling of helplessness, and knowing that she had left without knowing that he was sorry made it worse. He wished more than anything to take back the last fifteen minutes that he'd seen her. He'd regretted it at the time, but never more than now. The thought that she might die without ever knowing everything that he needed to say was constantly on his mind, worrying at it, and making it impossible for him to think about anything else.  
  
The nurse had promised to page him again when the two had left, and Draco returned wearily to his own room to get some rest before his vigil began again. Never before had Draco felt the need to sit with someone when they were ill; even when his mother had been confined to her bed after one of Lucius' more energetic beatings. Draco could now see that his life had been almost unbearably emotionless until Hermione Granger had stepped into his life.  
  
It didn't even seem to matter what kind of emotion it was, but she was inextricably linked with extreme emotion in his mind, and that was something that he didn't want to lose again. Hiding your emotions every day for 12 years wasn't easy, and Draco's newly found ability to feel was leaving him vulnerable to every emotion going. Guilt, anger, love, passion, hate, longing, frustration, despair... all of these were running through Draco in an unstoppable flood.  
  
Only Hermione could stop the bitter, unpalatable taste of the darker feelings, and bring back the light and the sweet. Draco needed Hermione to keep him sane, and make him feel alive and whole again. As difficult as it was for him to realize this, it was far more difficult for him to realize the possibility that maybe she couldn't save him; maybe she needed him to save her first.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
Hermione was trapped inside a world of pain and suffering, feeling like she was in hell. She could hear everybody, and feel everything, but was unable to escape from the prison of her mind. She could hear Draco's broken whisperings, Harry's pleading, and Ron's heartfelt desperation. She wanted so much to wake and make everything better for them, but she didn't know how, everything was so difficult. She couldn't seem to remember how to wake up, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't seem to emerge from the thick sticky blackness that was holding her prisoner.  
  
Time passed quickly while seeming to stand still, and as she drifted in and out of awareness, a common theme seemed to be emerging. Draco was an almost constant presence by her side, leaving only when Ron and Harry were there. He was forever around, talking, cajoling, holding her. This seemed to strike a cord somewhere deep in her memory, of the night when it all went wrong, the night where he had...  
  
All of a sudden, that night was thrown into sharp relief in her brain, the details were as clear as crystal. Confusion swept across her following the revelations of her mind. Considering his attitude after their last interlude, why was Draco here, caring for her, talking to her, holding her? Hermione scoffed at the emotion that seemed evident in his voice... like he cared! She was suddenly angry. How dare he think he can come and pretend that that night had never happened? How dare he come and sit with her, like Harry and Ron, like he was one of her friends. It was too much.  
  
Hermione's rage swept across her mind, seemingly forcing her upwards, out of the prison of her own making. Ironic as it seemed, Draco Malfoy was to be her salvation, he would be the one to finally wake her up.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
It seemed to start very slowly, just a flicker here and a twitch there, but perhaps that was just the way it appeared to him. Perhaps it was just his brain trying to escape from the crushing pressure of his anguish, making him think that she would be okay. Draco sat intently watching, as Hermione's eyes flickered, and her head twitched and then moved to face him. Her eyes flickered once more, and then slid open, agonizingly slowly.  
  
Draco held his breath, waiting for the illusion to dissipate into unwelcome reality, but it didn't. Her eyes remained open and came to focus on his face. Draco knew that he should be calling for the doctors, but couldn't bring himself to summon that painful intrusion on the moment he'd waited, what seemed to be a lifetime for. Hermione parted her lips, and Draco saw her struggling to form words, but her mouth was dryer than the Sahara and it was beyond her limited abilities at the moment.  
  
Hermione just looked at him, trying to convey to him her desperate need for water. As if by some mystical means of communication, he turned away from the bed, and returned with a glass of water and a straw. Gently he placed the straw between her lips and she sucked gratefully at the liquid that lay within. Never had anything tasted so good to her before. He took the cup away long before she was finished however and she glared her disapproval at him.  
  
"Take it slowly; you don't want to make yourself sick."  
  
It made sense, although she was still mad at his unwelcome mothering of her. Feeling the moisture do its work, Hermione tried speaking again, and although successful, was dismayed at the croaky, scratchy old-lady voice that emerged from her throat. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"  
  
His eyes darkened and numerous unidentifiable emotions rushed through them in a flood that lasted milliseconds.  
  
"I... I... I have to go."  
  
Cursing himself for being a weak, spineless bastard he practically ran out of her room, ignoring her heartrending whispers as she tried to call him back. Hermione lay on her bed, as yet unable to move trying to decipher the emotions that had rushed through his eyes. It made no sense, but she was almost certain that one of them had been pain; as a doctor, she would know.  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_  
  
It was a mere two days later that she was released; after the potions to fix her insides had done their work, the rapid healing potions to fix her minor injuries had been applied. Hermione sent up her thanks that she was a witch, and such muggle tortures as physiotherapy were not required. She was leaving the hospital with a new found determination. She was going to find Draco Malfoy and make him explain if it was the last thing she ever did.  
  
Hermione had spent the whole of the day before she left asking people about Draco and his actions towards her. She had started by asking the nurse assigned to her floor; the reaction had not been what she expected.  
  
"Oh lovey, there's one you need to hold on to! Every day he was here, holding your hand, stroking your face, whispering into your ear, I've never seen a man so in love before!"  
  
Then the nurse had come closer and bent down towards Hermione, in the pose of confiding something secret.  
  
"You can't tell him I told you this, but..." The nurse had stopped and bitten her lip. "Once I came in here, one of the very first days it was, and he was all hunched over your hand, and I thought there was something strange about it. I'm not one to be nosy, me, but I kept watching and a couple of seconds later, he lifted his head, and there it was.... Draco Malfoy was crying! Ah yes, never thought I'd see the day, but there it is!"  
  
Hermione's face had dropped in shock, but the nurse continued on regardless of her patient's current mental state.  
  
"I never saw it but that once, but it was enough I tell you. He loves you so."  
  
"Thanks, Maria." Hermione mumbled distractedly as the nurse bustled out and on to her other patients.  
  
This was all too confusing, and it only got worse as the day progressed and Harry came to visit her. This in itself wasn't unusual, but what was, was that Ron wasn't there as well. Even as he stepped in the door, Hermione knew there was something on his mind.  
  
"What is it, Harry? Is it something bad? Is Ron okay?"  
  
"Ron's fine Hermione, but there's someone who isn't okay, and I don't think you realise what's going on."  
  
"You mean Draco, don't you, Harry?" Hermione sighed in resignation as Harry nodded.  
  
"He's different Hermione, and I think it's because of you. The day he found out about your injuries, the first thing he did was let me know, and we've become sort of... acquaintances, since then. He misses you, Hermione, and if he wasn't so stubborn, he'd be here trying to patch it up with you. He just... thinks that you wouldn't want to hear it. After he waited so long to tell you what he needed to he's going to let the opportunity slip, and I don't think you should let him."  
  
Harry paused to take a breath.  
  
"He loves you Hermione, and I... I think you love him, too."  
  
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*  
  
Hermione got out of the cab and paid her fare, still debating whether or not this was a good idea. The cab popped and left and Hermione had no choice any more as she turned to face the imposing façade of Malfoy Manor. The rain started to fall as she made her way up to the front doors, and a ghost of a smile passed her lips as she placed her hand on the handle. It still remembered her, and she pushed open the heavy door, grateful for the diligence of the house elves as it made no noise.  
  
It had stayed just as she remembered it, although she wasn't sure why she had expected it to be changed. Hermione stood in the middle of the hall and spun slowly around in a circle, breathing in the majesty of the no longer threatening building. It even smelled like Draco, and she found herself drawing instinctive comfort from that. She stopped spinning and ended up facing the now blocked entranceway to Lucius' lair. She stepped towards it and placed her hand on the warm stone of the blockade.  
  
"Hermione...?"  
  
The voice echoed loudly, and she span away from the wall and to the source of the noise. Draco stood in the entranceway to the passage that led to the library. He was wearing a pair of black silk pyjama bottoms and his chest was bare, in his hand was a glass containing an inch of an amber coloured liquid that Hermione identified as Ogden's Firewhiskey.  
  
"You know, that stuff is bad for you." Hermione cursed herself for making such an inane comment; she was going to sound like such a fool.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry that I broke into your house and everything, but I really think that we need to talk." She said quickly, seeing his mouth open to reply and not wanting him to throw her out straight away.  
  
Draco was silent for a second, and then nodded.  
  
"Come to the Library, we can talk there. I would put more clothes on, but I'm too hot, and it's not like you haven't seen it." He added snidely before spinning away to stalk down the corridor, so she wouldn't see the blind hope that had taken up residence on his face.  
  
It was unfortunate that he had done so however, as he didn't see Hermione's face crumple, and then recover into a visage of stone. She momentarily considered running away from him before her determination rose and spread strength through her body. She followed his rapidly retreating back towards the room that had once made her so happy.  
  
Draco entered while Hermione was still a good forty feet further down the corridor. He used that time to quickly hide all evidence of what he'd been doing. He pushed the toothbrush she'd used under a chair, and placed the white dress carefully on the windowsill and pulled the curtains so it was hidden from view. Picking up a photograph from the desk, he took one last look at the smiling image of Hermione the schoolgirl, and pushed it onto the bookshelf, between Hogwarts: A History, and The History Of Malfoy Manor.  
  
Hermione entered just as Draco had settled himself into his seat and was pouring another measure of Ogden's Firewhiskey into his glass.  
  
"Please don't do that Malfoy, I need you to be coherent for this conversation."  
  
"I think the least you can do, Hermione, is to call me Draco. Considering what we've been through in the past few weeks, I think we're on a first name basis, don't you?"  
  
"Very well, Draco. Now, I know that this isn't the best time to be doing this, but I thought that the quicker we dealt with this issue, the quicker you can go back to your life, and I can go back to mine."  
  
Draco nodded, as if he could see the logic of that statement, even as parts of him were withering inside. He was determined not to show it however; if she could live without him, then he was damned if he couldn't do without her, too.  
  
"I would say that there are two questions that need resolving." Hermione swallowed; how could this be so damn easy for him? "One: Why did you feel the need to stay with me when I was ill? Don't try and deny that you did, I asked the nurse and she confirmed it. Two: why were you so nice to Harry and Ron? Harry came to talk to me, and said that you and he have become... well acquaintances is how he put it. This isn't like the Draco you used to be. What's changed?"  
  
"First of all, Hermione, that was three questions; skilled on the maths front, aren't we?" He mocked.  
  
She glared at him, feeling her anger start to rise. She stomped over to the bookshelves, and angrily stared blankly at them. He remained silent, panicking on the inside; she was stood directly in front of where he'd hidden the picture.  
  
Trying to grab her attention, he started with his explanations.  
  
"Just to be contrary, I'll start with question two. I wasn't nice to Harry and Ron; I have never been nice to the weasel. I'll admit that I was a mite more than civil to Harry and technically it was your fault. He's actually a pretty decent guy once you get to know him; although I guess you'd know that already."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I felt that I had to let him know about your accident. A Malfoy always pays his debts, and I owed you that much for the help you'd given me. That neatly answers question one as well."  
  
"And question three? Is there a neat answer to that too?" Unhelpfully, Hermione had stayed looking at the bookcase, slowly moving her fingers over the spines of the books. Draco felt his heart sink as she gasped, knowing exactly what it was going to be about.  
  
"Oh Gods! Look, Draco! You've got a first edition copy of Hogwarts: A History!" Her voice was full of excitement and wonder, and he could practically feel her pull the book out of its place on the shelf. He heard the photo hit the floor and out of the corner of his eye he saw her bend down and pick it up. She turned to him and he looked at her; he saw her questioning eyes and briefly shut his, knowing all was lost.  
  
Hermione looked down at the picture once again, not quite believing her eyes. She knew what the photo was; it was the Hogwarts end of year photo, however Draco had changed his. He had blurred out every face except hers, and it was enlarged so that it took up most of the space in the picture.  
  
"Why...? What...?"  
  
She looked at Draco's face once again, and it was devoid of the antagonism and distance that had filled it since she had entered the house. It was almost painfully open, and Hermione knew.  
  
"The third question... what's changed? Everything has, Hermione. You've changed everything."  
  
She walked over to the nearest window; she needed air. She pulled the curtains apart and saw the white dress that she had worn the night that she and Draco had...  
  
Fuck. This was going from bad to worse. Draco was practically punching himself; why hadn't he magicked the items somewhere instead of hiding them?  
  
Hermione turned back towards him.  
  
"Everything, huh? I think you'd better tell me what happened after I left that night."  
  
Encouraged by the fact that she wasn't leaving yet, Draco was happy to comply.  
  
"It was so strange. I didn't really remember what had happened when we were here; I knew you'd come here, but not... well anything. You'd just left and I could see something on the chair where you'd been. It was your tears on the chair, and I got up and went over to them. I don't know why, but I felt this compulsion to touch one. I did and all these memories sort of flooded into my brain.  
  
There were little snippets of conversations we'd had. And with them was this pain; it wasn't bad... well it was but it was good as well. It felt so warm and kind of tingly, and I..."  
  
Draco stopped abruptly. Hermione was still facing the window holding the dress, but he could see even from his seat that she was holding onto the dress so tightly that her knuckles had gone white.  
  
"Hermione... Hermione?" She didn't respond and Draco started to worry. It wasn't that long since she'd been deathly ill, and it had been a big day. He rose from the chair, and walked slowly over to her so as not to alarm her. She still didn't move and he stopped just behind her; so close that he could breathe in the scent of her hair.  
  
"Hermione... look I didn't mean... I mean... Maybe I should leave you alone." He turned to leave, completely at a loss as to what he should do.  
  
Just as he turned, he saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye and span back around to face her. She was slowly turning to face him, so slowly that he hadn't noticed her moving at first. Her face was turned to the floor and her hair obscured any view that he might have had. He heard a shaky intake of breath and decided that he couldn't take any more of this waiting.  
  
He lifted his hand, and slowly slid two fingers under her chin, marvelling at the softness of her skin. Gently he tilted her face up to look into his; there was no resistance and soon he was looking directly into the face that he loved so much.  
  
Her eyes were shining with tears, streaky marks down her face showing where the predecessors had gone. The tears made her chocolate eyes dark and shiny, like mini versions of the bottomless lake at Hogwarts. Moved by the emotion showed on her face, Draco slowly lowered his face to meet hers and gently traced the paths of her tears with little kisses. Another shuddery intake of breath made him raise his head again to see her reaction to his actions.  
  
Hermione raised her arms to weave around his neck and pulled his head down, meeting his lips with hers in a passionate kiss.  
  
"I thought I'd lost you." She whispered when they pulled apart.  
  
"Never again." He replied, before wrapping her precious body in his strong arms, wondering how he'd made it through his past lifetime without her.  
  
"I missed you so much."  
  
"I missed you, too. I thought it was all lost when you found the picture."  
  
"I hate that picture. We'll have to get you a better one."  
  
"I don't need a picture now; I have the real thing, don't I?"  
  
"Yes, you do." Once again, their lips met in a frantic kiss, as if trying to reassure themselves that the other one was there to stay. Suddenly, Hermione ripped herself away from Draco and ran towards the exit of the Library, she threw open the door and ran down the corridor. Stunned, Draco stood motionless for a second before tearing after her; he caught sight of her disappearing towards the front door. Panic made him run faster than he'd ever run before, and he reached the entrance hall on record time. He stood panting, looking bewildered at Hermione, who stood in the entrance hall looking at him.  
  
"What... the... bloody... hell... are... you... doing?" Draco panted  
  
"I left the front door open; I was just shutting it before all the rain came in." She said, walking over to Draco and rubbing his back as he struggled to regain his breath.  
  
Draco fell to the floor, holding his sides, laughing himself stupid at all the panicked thoughts that had ran through his head. Hermione shook her head at him, rolling her eyes at his stupidity, then shrieked as Draco pulled her down next to him.  
  
"Eeek! Draco! The floor is all cold and wet, and why am I on the floor anyway?" She whinged.  
  
Draco rolled her on top of him, and raised his head up so he could whisper into her ear.  
  
"I love you, but if you whine like that one more time, I'm going to have to punish you."  
  
Hermione grinned, and in her best whiny tone said,  
  
"Oh but Draco, I'm all cold now, and I'm never going to get warm, and you're so mean and..."  
  
The last part of Hermione's tirade got cut off by Draco's mouth pressing hard against hers.  
  
"What did I tell you, Hermione? I don't make threats lightly you know!" Draco said with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Good." Replied Hermione, grinning as wide as she could.  
  
Draco stood up abruptly and swept her up into his arms, striding as fast as he could towards his bedroom. It took only a couple of minutes to reach it, and he practically threw Hermione down onto the bed. He then knelt on the edge of the bed, and crawled up to Hermione in a very predatory fashion. Hermione would have giggled, if only the sight of him hadn't completely taken her breath away. His muscles rippled and tensed underneath his perfect, although pale skin. Hermione reached up and grabbed him by the shoulders, digging her fingers into the resilient muscle as she pulled him down to meet her.  
  
Draco resisted, smiling down at the frustrated Hermione; eventually tiring of the game that he could so easily win, she sat up halfway and moved her face close to his. She stopped about a millimetre away from his lips, gently breathing in and out through her mouth, creating tickly little drafts of air against his mouth. Waiting to see who would break first, seconds seemed like hours. Eventually, with a groan, Draco broke and crushing her mouth with his, pushed his tongue through the barrier of her lips to explore the silky smooth wetness that lay beyond.  
  
Without noticing it, the pair gradually made their way downwards until Hermione was laying flat against the smooth white cotton sheets of Draco's bed. He was lying fully on top of her, pressed so tight that they looked almost like one being. Being so tightly against one another, Hermione could feel how much he wanted her, and this knowledge made her flush with pleasure. Removing one of her hands from the back of his neck, it made a little winding trail down his back, and around to his lower stomach.  
  
Hermione could feel the ripples of muscle that made up his stomach, and the little downy trail of hair that she loved to play with. Draco let out a shuddering gasp as she pushed her hand down into his pyjama bottoms to explore his erection with skilled hands. Feeling how close to the edge he was already, Hermione grinned as she teased him, running her fingers up and down the velvety skin without ever fully gripping it.  
  
"That's not playing fair, love." he complained, without really meaning it  
  
"All's fair in love and war." She retorted  
  
"Oh really?" He questioned. Hermione made to retract the statement, realising she'd made a mistake, but he drowned any reply she might have made with his mouth.  
  
Gently unbuttoning the blouse she wore, Draco trailed his fingers from her chin, through the valley between her breasts, and down to the waistband of her trousers. He raised her up, and slipped off the blouse, throwing it across the room where it landed half on his desk. She grinned to see the haphazard way he threw things around, confirming her earlier suspicion that his room was only tidy because of the house elves.  
  
The grin quickly faded as he unclasped her bra and slid the straps off her shoulders. This too was thrown across the room, landing in a million to one shot on the handle of his door, where it stayed. Hermione's heart was pounding frantically as Draco sat staring at her. She was mentally willing him to move, when he did; not the way she wanted however as he rolled off her, and lay on his side facing away from her.  
  
"Good night, Hermione."  
  
She sat bolt upright in shock and indignation; what did he think he was doing?! She stared at him in disbelief, until she saw his body trembling ever so slightly and realised that this was taking a lot of willpower for him. Gently, she leant over, making sure her bare breasts rubbed against the sensitive spot that she had discovered half-way down his spine.  
  
"Good night, Draco." she whispered into his ear, tickling him. She rolled over and lay still, not touching him, waiting.  
  
With a groan, Draco rolled over and straddled her.  
  
"Evil temptress; that didn't go as I planned." He complained as she grinned up at him, flushed from her victory. She quirked an eyebrow, and he leant down, kissing the spot very gently.  
  
"Now, where were you?" she prompted him, causing him to grin this time. He slowly slid his lips from her eyebrow down her hairline to her jaw, where he detoured to along her jaw line. He pressed a tender kiss to her lips before moving down to the hollow in her throat and the side of her neck. His hands had moved to gently caress the undersides of her breasts and up around the edge, to a ticklish spot just underneath her armpit. Gently stroking that spot, he caused little laughing gasps and moans to be emitted from Hermione's mouth.  
  
Suddenly frustrated with the game playing, he moved his mouth directly to her nipple and closed his mouth around it, alternately sucking and feathering it with his tongue. Hermione writhed in ecstasy, and using the last little bit of strength in her, flipped the pair over so that she was straddling him. Impatiently, she yanked down his pyjama bottoms as he lifted his hips, she threw them over her shoulder where they landed in a crumpled pile by his chair. Kissing her way around his face, she varied the pressure, and just before she kissed him on the lips, she pulled her head up and stared into his eyes.  
  
"I do so very much love you."  
  
"And I, you." He replied, letting her see the love in his eyes. She lowered her lips to his, in a kiss that was gentle and loving, at odds with the passion they felt. Hermione slipped to the side, allowing Draco to once again be the one on top. Fitting himself between her legs, Draco allowed himself to acknowledge just how lucky he was to have a girl like her. Leaning down to press a kiss on her temple, Draco pushed himself into her; once again feeling the ecstasy of her hot, wet depths.  
  
Determined to savour this moment, he set an almost painfully slow rhythm that nearly killed them both. It seemed like an eternity to the both of them; they were joined forever in this moment of passion. It surpassed even the last time that they had been together; that had been born of new passion and birthing love, this was something different, something older and more loving.  
  
They came together, each lost in the feelings that engulfed them; the knowledge that only together could life be this perfect for either of them.  
  
Draco stared down at Hermione, her skin flushed and shining with sweat. She had never looked more beautiful to him and his emotions welled up to the surface and threatened to spill over. Hermione watched him watching her; his beautiful face full of emotion, his hair messy and tousled, his body sweaty and trembling with exertion.  
  
"I love you." She told him, "I know I keep saying it, but it's such a relief to be able to tell you."  
  
"I will never tire of hearing it, even if you said it to me for the rest of our lives, and I hope you will." Draco bit his lip, he'd revealed too much of what he was thinking... well it was too late now.  
  
"Draco? Do you mean what I think you mean?"  
  
Draco rolled off her, to the side, and pulled open a drawer in his bedside table.  
  
"I brought this to the hospital, so many times. I had it the day you woke up, but my nerve broke seeing you like that, and I couldn't do it."  
  
He extended his clenched fist to Hermione, he didn't open it immediately and she stroked the tops of his fingers. Slowly he loosened his grip and on his palm sat a small black box. Hermione already knew what was in it, but she couldn't bring herself to open it; what if she was wrong? She'd be crushed by the disappointment, and wouldn't be able to hide it.  
  
Draco studied her face, watching emotions run through it; he decided to bite the bullet and opened the box. Inside, on a cushion of white silk, was a platinum band, with an exquisite, flawless, princess-cut diamond set into the precious metal. It was the most beautiful engagement ring that Hermione had ever seen, the stone was the perfect size, elegant but not trashy, the setting was exactly what she would have chosen for herself.... It was her dream ring. Worried by Hermione's silence, Draco started to regret ever showing it to her.  
  
"I... I was just going to ask, you know if you wanted to... well, maybe we..."  
  
Goddamn it he was making a mess of this. He got off the bed, and walked around to the other side of the bed. He knelt down in front of Hermione and she turned to face him.  
  
"Will you marry me?"  
  
Eventually, he got it out, and he remained kneeling, staring intently at her face, for any sign of her reaction. Her eyes welled up with tears.  
  
"Draco," she gasped, "It's beautiful, I mean, it's perfect... it must have.... I mean I..."  
  
Seeing the tension in his face, she suddenly realised that she hadn't actually given him any answer yet. She smiled at him, and to Draco it was the most beautiful sight in the world.  
  
"It would make me the happiest person in the world to be your wife, Draco Malfoy. I love you so much."  
  
His smile said it all. He took the ring out of the box and gently slid it onto her ring finger.  
  
"Do you like the ring then? I had such a hell of a time trying to pick the perfect one; I went to every jewellery store in Britain I think, wizarding and muggle. It was the last ring in the last store and I just knew it was the one for you. I think it was destined or something."  
  
"It's perfect. There are no words..." Hermione leant down and kissed him, and it was almost a seal on an agreement on the fact that they would spend the rest of their lives together. She pulled Draco back up into the bed, and they snuggled together in the tangled sheets, each thinking how lucky they were. Draco lifted her hand and looked at the ring that was shining on her finger; he smiled at the sight of it.  
  
"You're mine now. You belong to me." He said  
  
"Yes. I'm still going to be me though, right? You're not going to make me give up being a doctor?"  
  
"I would never even dream of depriving anybody of your care. Just promise me that you'll never care for anybody like you cared for me." He took her laughing as an agreement to this suggestion.  
  
******************************************************** Well, that's the last chapter, just a mini epilogue to go. I hope you guys appreciate the lovely long chapter! Anyway, please review, it'll help me work faster, lol!  
  
Thanks  
  
~T~ 


	11. Chapter 11: Epilogue

A/N: Thanks to Raine Malfoy for the idea! Sorry that it's been so long!

Epilogue

Draco stood silently waiting. Above him was a carved wooden archway, painted a dazzling white, and threaded through with white lilies and sprays of white roses. Harry Potter stood at his side, grinning at his former enemies' discomfort, marvelling at the turns that life took. Here he was, stood in the amazing gardens of Malfoy Manor, the best man at Draco's wedding, awaiting his best friend's arrival. The gardens had never looked so beautiful; the lawns were perfectly manicured, and right in the centre of the largest lawn, two hundred white wooden chairs were set out. Down the centre of two sections of seating, a pure white aisle was laid out, and the beautifully wrought archway was stood at the end. The seating was surrounded by borders of white rose bushes tied around with white ribbon to create a barrier around the seating.

Harry turned to Draco, who was the same colour as the archway, "She'll be here, stop panicking!"

"I'm not panicking, do I look like I'm panicking?!" Draco replied in a distinctly panicky sounding voice. "Why on earth would I be panicking when I'm stood at the altar waiting for the woman I love, who is... ooh, ten minutes late?!"

Draco fiddled with his tux, and straightened his handkerchief for the seventy-ninth time since Harry had started counting. Some of the guests, namely the Weasley boys, could barely contain their laughter at the nervous antics of one, normally ice-cool, Draco Malfoy.

Just then, music started up, as a white carriage, pulled by two white horses approached the end of the aisle. A whole procession of bridesmaids emerged, dressing in identical ice-blue dresses, lead by one Ginny Weasley, who turned and helped a figure dressed in white out of the carriage. Everyone craned to get a look at the bride herself, not least Draco. Hermione had insisted on keeping her dress a complete secret from everyone, including Draco. His breath caught in his throat as she finally stood at the end of the aisle, prepared to walk towards him. She was wearing the same white dress that had been made for her by the house elves; the one that she had worn to dinner on that fateful night; the one that had haunted his dreams all of the time that they were apart.

Hermione stood at the end of the aisle looking towards Draco; towards her future. She could see the shock and pleasure on his face; she had known from the very second that he had asked her to marry him that she would be wearing this dress. Of course it had been altered to incorporate a train, but this dress held a very special place in their relationship, and she wouldn't have been married in anything else. Hermione's father got up from where he had been sitting at the end of the final row, and walked to take his place at her side.

"You look so beautiful, my darling. Your mother and I are so proud of you."

"I love you Daddy."

Hermione smiled at her father's words; he always knew just what to say to make her happy. The wedding march began, and Hermione floated down the aisle towards Draco, scarcely feeling the ground underneath her feet. She could see Mrs Weasley already crying out of the corner of her eye, and her own mother passing her a tissue. Her mother beamed at her through slightly teary eyes, and mouthed 'I love you' at her. Hermione looked slightly to the side, and saw Ron and his brothers sat with their mouths open, gawping at her. Hermione remembered how hard it had been for Ron to accept that her and Draco were together and she smiled at him, hoping to convey her love for him. Ron smiled back at her, mouthing something as well, she didn't quite catch it the first time, but the second time was as clear as day. 'I still don't like the ferret'. Hermione grinned and her eyes slid forward for the first time.

Draco could see her approaching on the arm of her father, making contact with the people in the congregation. She smiled at Weasley and he mouthed something to her and she grinned; Draco scowled knowing that it would be something about him. His expression softened however when Hermione's eyes raised to meet his, but almost immediately her gaze slid off to Harry who was stood at his left. Draco looked at Harry who, in defiance of tradition stepped forward as Hermione reached the front to kiss her on the cheek and whisper something in her ear. She smiled again, as Harry turned to Draco with an impish grin and returned to his place.

Hermione was startled as Harry came towards her, he kissed her first then whispered, "You should have seen him, he did everything but climb the walls!" Harry then snuck back to his position by Draco. For the first time, Hermione's eyes really met Draco's and she could see the love radiating from his gaze, although masked by mild irritation. She smiled at him, as a man dressed in ceremonial robes approached and began to read the ceremony.

"Who here gives this woman away?" He read, in exactly the same joyous tone of voice he used to use at the feasts in Hogwarts.

"I do." Mr Granger said, as he stepped forwards. Turning to take his seat by Mrs Granger, he leant forward and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "Be happy sweetheart."

The rest of the ceremony flew by, and as Draco said 'I do', Hermione could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Draco gently slid a solid gold wedding band on her finger, as she slid on his, and she knew that she was going to cry. As Professor Dumbledore pronounced them husband and wife, the first tear slipped down her cheek. Draco lifted her veil and wiped away the tear with his thumb, before pressing his lips to hers in their first kiss as man and wife just as the sun slipped below the horizon.

A wooden dance floor had been set up just to the side of the altar, and as Draco and Hermione made their way back down the aisle, it softly lit up, illuminating the surrounding area. As the couple exited the ceremonial area, they were showered with white rose petals instead of confetti, and Hermione's eyes filled up once more looking at the happiness on the faces of those around her. Draco smiled down at her, "Who needs a sprinkler system when they have you?"

She punched him gently, and then pulled him by his arm towards the dance floor. "Come on, we have to have our first dance as man and wife, before I decide that you're too annoying to live, and kill you."

Hermione walked on to the dance floor, only to be spun backwards into Draco's arms as the first strains of Elvis Presley magically began on the air.

"Wise men say,

Only fools rush in

But I can't help falling in love with you."

"I love this song," Hermione sighed happily as she rested her head against Draco's chest.

"I love you." He replied; she smiled and together they gently swayed to the soft sound of the music. Lost in their own little world, it took them a few moments to notice the gasps of amazement and the awed murmurings that surrounded them. Breaking apart, they turned to look at their guests who were all staring at something on the edge of the forest on the far side of the lake.

Two pure white unicorns were stood at the edge of the lake, still and silent, as if waiting for something.

"Draco, look!" Hermione exclaimed, awed by the presence of these rare and highly magical beasts. He nodded, too awed to speak. He had known that unicorns had visited Malfoy Manor in the past, and had indeed told Hermione that the first time that they were in these gardens, but they hadn't been seen for many years. Not since the taint of Voldemort had touched Malfoy Manor, in fact.

"This is a sign, Hermione. We're going to be so happy here, the unicorns have come to bless us."

Together they walked away from the dance floor and down towards the lake, the unicorns maintaining their still position on the far bank. As they reached the shore of the lake, Hermione dipped into a deep curtsey, as Draco bowed. The two unicorns tossed their heads, and wheeled, galloping back into the forest where they had emerged from. Draco and Hermione turned back to their wedding guests to see tears on each and every one of the faces that stared back at them.

Ron and Harry raced down the hill towards Hermione, and stopping barely two feet away from her, the three friends stood looking into each others eyes. Ron pulled away and turned to Draco, then stuck out his hand; Draco barely managed to keep from flinching, but smiled when he realized what Ron was doing. He grasped the taller man's hand firmly with his own and shook it, grateful for Ron's gesture. The Golden Trio would always be a part of Hermione, it was just that now he had a part as well.

Wise men say,

Only fools rush in,

But I can't help,

Falling in love with you.

The music played softly in the room, as Hermione sat in a rocking chair slowly rocking herself backwards and forwards. Draco came up behind her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"You don't have to sit with him all the time, you know?"

"I know. Besides, you know that you're as bad as I am." Draco smiled at this, acknowledging it for the truth that it was. He silently crept over to his son's crib, and gently stroked the top of his head, where a very thin layer of blond-gold fuzz was starting to emerge.

"He's so beautiful, just like his mother." Hermione smiled at this compliment, and then rose, creaking from the chair.

"No, he's handsome, like his father. Now come on, let's go before we wake him. You know how fussy he is once he's awake."

"He is not fussy, he's just a Malfoy. He knows what he likes, and he's going to get what he likes, aren't you JJ?"

"Come on! He'll wake up!"

Grudgingly Draco followed his wife out of his son's nursery, smiling softly.

A.N. Sorry that this is so short, and that it took so long to get out. It's a bit rushed, and it isn't exactly how I wanted it, but the fact that this story was unfinished was really starting to get to me. Thanks to all the people that have read AND REVIEWED this story and I hope that you like it.


End file.
